Hi,
I'm not Christian but respect and enjoying learning about all faiths. I've got a pretty basic question so please forgive me if it's been asked many times before! I'm also going to paraphrase a little bit on my understanding so please be patient if I over simplify.
So in the beginning;
1. God existed in heaven.
2. God created angels and existed with them
3. Lucifer rebelled and God created Hell and sent him there to become Satan
4. God created the Earth and everything else
Is that right? Did it happen in that order?
1. God existed in heaven. Somewhat; but "heaven" literally means "the sky" that big blue thing above us. Earth and heaven are employed by God as metaphors of "empirical reality" and "abstract reality". This is why everything on the earth is all, formed, and has shapes, and definite appearances, and is all very, "concrete" as "empirical" things are want to be. But look up in the sky and what do you see? Very unformed things; wisps of nebulous vapors drifting on an open canvas. This is a metaphor of abstract reality, the realm of, ideas, and, imaginings, and most importantly: consciousness. This is what God is, pure consciousness which dwells in abstraction, and from which all empirical things are manifested and given form.
2. The bible never says when God created angels. Your understanding is based on traditions of men, but it's not in the bible.
3. No, this never happened in the bible, it's more traditional mythology. The word "Lucifer" means something like "light bearer" and is actually from the Latin, especially the Vulgate translation of Jerome, in which, this is actually a title of Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the
day star arise in your hearts:
2 Peter 1:19 et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem cui bene facitis adtendentes quasi lucernae lucenti in caliginoso loco donec dies inlucescat et
lucifer oriatur in cordibus vestris
In the Isaiah passage (which people misinterpret to allude to some arch-enemy of God [there is no such a thing in the bible, all "satans" actually work according to the will of God]) it is being used as a "taunt" against the king of Babylon, and sarcastically calling him by the title he believed himself to be, prophesying his downfall: Isaiah 14:4, Isaiah 14:12
But, tradition has intervened and created a story which people perpetuate, concerning this being who runs around in a literal fire world and tweaks his moustaches. There's no "being sent to fire" until the very end of the bible: Revelation 20:14 (in which you can also see that this is a metaphor, as well; as we see this "fire" burning up concepts like, death, and "hell" itself)
So, "Lucifer" being applied to an "evil spirit" (which is definitely not "bearing light") instead of to Jesus Christ, is just the world turned around backward in understanding. Par for the course, I suppose.
4. This one is good.
