The Powers that Be

 "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation."  Revelation 13:7

“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people."  Rev. 13:10

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! ² And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;
those for starvation, to starvation;
those for captivity, to captivity.’" Jeremiah 15:1,2

This is ultimately how you know we are still in this evil age.  The Principalities and Powers are still given authority.  Yeshua defeated them at the cross, but the out-working of that only has a "ladder" from the age to come into this evil age.  The evilness of this evil age is still being played out.  The day of the Lord is still on the horizon. Mercy is still being shown to sinners and time is still being given for repentance. All Israel has not had the same Damascus Road experience given to Paul, where the Spirit of grace and supplication is poured out on the remnant people that is still left on the earth after the tribulation, the great one, has purified the earth of all evil.

The Day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, the meeting of the Lord in the air to escort He and His victorious army back to the earth to begin His official rule and reign from a throne in Jerusalem, all these things are yet to come and they are all after the tribulation, just read Matthew 24 and see what it says.  

Meanwhile, do not be surprised that the principalities and powers are experiencing a whole bunch of temporary victories, they know their days are numbered, they know Who is God Most High.  If we go into captivity, we know there is a time limit, if we are killed, we know we never die.  Mercy, and only mercy, has made us a winner.