It nearly is impossible for a wealthy individual to enter the Kingdom. Wealth is power in the visible, external realm, while the Kingdom of God is invisible and is formed in us. He who would be rich falls into a snare as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned because he is too occupied with that which is external, to the detriment of the development of the Kingdom of God in him.

Satan works in the minds and hearts of people. The only manner in which Satan can be conquered and cast down is by the entrance of Christ into the mind and heart. The entrance of Christ the King into us results in the casting down of Satan. Christ takes His place as the rightful King of our personality.

This is why Satan strives unceasingly to keep people (especially Christians) busy with externals. When Christ is enthroned in the heart Satan's kingdom is destroyed.

The faithful Christian soon learns he cannot serve both God and money. He must come out from the economic life of Laodicea and give himself to the Kingdom being formed in him.

The mark of the Beast already is present in the world. The mark of the Beast is the love of money and the pursuit of money (the mark in the mind and the hand).

Increasingly, the major corporations of the world will demand not only the time but also the souls of their employees. It will not be enough to work each day for the company. The company will demand a "marriage, " a giving of the heart of the employee to the company, its efforts, its policies. He who is not willing to give himself to this extent, but who insists on spending time with his family and in the seeking of the Lord, will suffer economic penalties. To some degree this is taking place already.

The Laodicean believer will become so caught up in the new, prosperous, creative society that he will not be able to hear the voice of Christ. The external world will be so attractive, so stimulating, so full of interest, challenge, fun, so seemingly "Christian" in many ways, that only the hardiest of saints will possess enough strength of character to resist the allurements of the world and to defy the economic penalties that will fall on the "different" individual.

The believer who does not resist but who falls into line with the new age of social betterment will come to a terrible end:

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:11)

But the saint who stands true in the Laodicean age will experience the spiritual coming of the Lord, the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles.

To be continued.