The whole purpose of the prophecy was that “people living may know that the Most High is Ruler in the kingdom of mankind and that he gives it to whomever he wants, and he sets up over it even the lowliest of men.”
???... Didn`t Satan take Jesus up into the highest mountain and offer him all the kingdoms of the earth if he did one act of worship to him ?
And Jesus didn`t contradict him and say he didn`t have any authority over all those kingdoms did he.
The “seven times” represent the period during which God allowed the nations to rule over the earth without interference from any kingdom that he had set up.
So in other words Jehovah God gave Satan the right to rule over mankind then but wasn`t he already doing that ? since Eden ?
And then the quote from Jesus that the whole world is lying in the power of the Wicked one ? Satan ?
In Job Satan comes before the throne of Jehovah { obviously he is not shunned } and God asked him where he has been and he reply`s from walking about in the earth etc etc.
So Satan has been on the earth causing havoc for 6000 years before he is cast out of heaven and confined to the earth and has had control over all the nations since Adam & Eve sinned .
No wonder I don`t believe in the Bible or a God anymore.
ps. And after the 1000 years of JC reign God in all his wisdom is going to set Satan free to work more havoc on humanity as if they haven`t already suffered enough ?
Such a loving God.