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Who killed the firstborn of Egypt?
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]One Perspective
God speaking: For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord (Exodus 12:12).
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Another Perspective
For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians: and when He sees the blood on the doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer (Satan) to come into your houses to strike you (Exodus 12:23; emphasis supplied).
[/FONT]
"Satan" means "Adversary".
in Christ,
Bob
Bob Ryan,
I have another quote from one of your church co-founders:
God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. God did not compel him to disbelieve. The seed of unbelief which he sowed produced a harvest of its kind. Thus his resistance continued, until he looked upon his devastated land, upon the cold, dead form of his first-born, and the first-born of all in his house and of all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and his men of war. His history is a fearful illustration of the truth of the words that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal. 6:7. Did men but realize this, they would be careful what seed they sow. {COL 84-5}
in Christ,Under God the Angels Are All-Powerful.
They are mighty, and they excel in strength. On one occasion, in obedience to the command of Christ, they slew in one night one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian army. They can, and will, soon visit the earth with judgments. In quick succession one angel after another will pour out vials of wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth. How easily could the angels, beholding the shameful scene of the trial of Christ, have testified to their indignation by consuming the adversaries of God! But they were not commanded to do this. {ST, January 17, 1900 par. 10}
But measures were immediately taken in heaven to defeat Satan in his plans. Strong angels, with beams of light like flaming swords turning in every direction, were placed as sentinels to guard the way of the tree of life from the approach of Satan and the guilty pair. Adam and Eve had forfeited all right to their beautiful Eden home, and were now expelled from it. {Con 16.2}
Holy angels were sent to drive out the disobedient pair from the garden, while other angels guarded the way to the tree of life. Each one of these mighty angels had in his right hand a glittering sword.--3SG 45. {TA 62.2}
Strong angels, with beams of light representing flaming swords turning in every direction, were placed as sentinels to guard the way of the tree of life from the approach of Satan and the guilty pair.--RH Feb. 24, 1874. {TA 62.3}
It was Satan's studied plan that Adam and Eve should disobey God, receive His frown, and then partake of the tree of life, that they might perpetuate a life of sin. But holy angels were sent to debar their way to the tree of life. Around these angels flashed beams of light on every side, which had the appearance of glittering swords.--1SP 44. {TA 62.4}[FONT="] [/FONT]
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I think the "destroying angel" in this case is one sent by God.
But in Job 1 and 2 - the destroying is done by Satan after God gives him permission to do it to Job.
They are mighty, and they excel in strength. On one occasion, in obedience to the command of Christ, they slew in one night one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian army. They can, and will, soon visit the earth with judgments. In quick succession one angel after another will pour out vials of wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth. How easily could the angels, beholding the shameful scene of the trial of Christ, have testified to their indignation by consuming the adversaries of God! But they were not commanded to do this. {ST, January 17, 1900 par. 10}
On one occasion, in obedience to the command of Christ, they slew in one night one hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian army. They can, and will, soon visit the earth with judgments. In quick succession one angel after another will pour out vials of wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth.
Matthew 26:51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? ....
Apparently Jesus is opposed to violence. Jesus goes on to say, [John 18:36] "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
What does Christ mean by "the world"?
Keep in mind that Satan is "the god of this world". His principle is seen everywhere. He uses force and domination to achieve his goals. God is not of this world and therefore He is opposed to force and violence.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. -Deu 32:39
So much of scripture testifies to the fact that God does kill.
No, not only "adversary".....
Principle: God sees and describes Himself as doing what He does not prevent.
Bob Ryan,
I have another quote from one of your church co-founders:
God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. God did not compel him to disbelieve. The seed of unbelief which he sowed produced a harvest of its kind. Thus his resistance continued, until he looked upon his devastated land, upon the cold, dead form of his first-born, and the first-born of all in his house and of all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and his men of war. His history is a fearful illustration of the truth of the words that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Gal. 6:7. Did men but realize this, they would be careful what seed they sow. {COL 84-5}
Satan does not have the power to resurrect the wicked at the end of the 1000 years and according to Matt 26 - hell is "made for the devil and his angels" so the devil does not light up the lake of fire either. Rather he is a victim of it according to Rev 20.
in Christ,
Bob
The above quote appears to deal with God's judgment on Pharaoh in this life rather than the next.
And since you are quoting from what Ellen White claimed God showed her in vision regarding the wicked - I will add this --
Great Controversy - 673
Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10. The earth's surface seems one molten mass--a vast, seething 673
Some are destroyed as in a moment,
while others suffer many days. All are punished “according to their deeds." The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit.
[/FONT]His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch--Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met[FONT="]; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah. {GC 673.1}
.[/FONT][FONT="]The point being that the SDA source you keep referencing describes the punishment as the wicked as something that God does -- not a natural result of nature.[/FONT]
In Luke 12:45-48 and in Matt 18 and in Is 53 the law demands "stripes" and "Torment" and "suffering -- lashes".
It is torment that is the payment of the 2nd death in those texts - just as we see in Rev 14:10-11.
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