• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

the fall of satan

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hi everyone. I am studying about the fall of Satan and am using Anselm's dialogues to help guide me through some questions that I have. I am relatively new to the study of the doctrine of sin, but now that I am reading through Grudem's Systematic theology (it's a great work!) I have finally bumped into a couple of questions that maybe some of you could help me with.

First: What exactly is the account of the fall of the devil? (either biblical or passed down through tradition of the catholic (or any) teachings.

Second: How is it possible for the devil to turn away from God and from justice, given the original goodness of the created world?

Third: Is there any known answer as to WHY the devil willed to desert justice, while the good angels did not?

Any help would be most appreciated. I'm not too sure if there are going to be too many chapter and verse answers as most of the questions are about things not expressly written in the Bible, but any insight that you think would be helpful in my studies I would be grateful for.
Thanks,
Rich
 
You are correct that there are no direct references to this in Scripture. What has become a popular conception is that there was a war in heaven, and Satan was cast out by the archangel Michael. This is based on Revelation 12:7-9, but the context indicates that this does not refer to Satan's original rebellion but rather has another application. Other texts which have been used are Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19, the former referring historically to the king of Babylon and the latter to the king of Tyre. Because of the kind of language used to describe these figures, it has been easy to see them as types or representations of the Devil. The problem is, one already needs to have a belief in the Devil and his fall in order to grasp the typology.

So while many have used the foregoing as proof texts on the subject, I have never seen these passages used in any systematic theology (which is not to say they have not been so used). Rather, the issues involving Satan seem to be treated parallel with the fall of Adam and Eve - that any creation of God must be good, but that intelligent creatures must have free will which makes sin a possibility.

It is quite possible that the Devil as such had no prehistory prior to Eden, and that the offending angel (or "Lucifer") became Satan by the very act of tempting our first parents. This would certainly fit with Jesus' description of the Devil as "a murderer from the beginning" and "a liar," as his deception resulted in death to the human family. (John 8:44)
 
Upvote 0

ps139

Ab omni malo, libera nos, Domine!
Sep 23, 2003
15,088
818
New Jersey
Visit site
✟45,407.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
I don't have any Scripture references to back this up, but what I have been told of this makes sense to me. Lucifer (which means "light" or something involving "light") loved God, and was loved by God. When God creates humans, Lucifer became jealous, perhaps he felt less loved. The best analogy of this that I can think of is what frequently happes with a firstborn child...When he is the only child, he receives all the parents' attention. But when a younger brother comes along, he receives less attention and feels less loved. I am not implying that God has a finite amount of love to be distributed to his creations, but I think that is what Lucifer thought or felt. So the firstborn usually clamors for attention, and in some reported cases tries to injure the second born, to remove him and restore himself as the sole recipient of the parents' love. Lucifer was banished from heaven, and from that day forth he has put all of his efforts into separating God's "secondborn" (humans) from their Divine Father. I hope this helps.
 
Upvote 0

retrogeek

Shadow. Cats can't type.
I'm also interested in this topic. I think a lot of the popular conception of Satan's fall from grace comes from non-Biblical sources or Biblical concepts filtered through fiction, like Milton's Paradise Lost:

Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd
The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride
Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the most High,
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim
Against the Throne and Monarchy of God
Rais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie
With hideous ruine and combustion down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,
Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms
(That's from Paradise Lost - Book 1, line 32)

Milton's work is a literary masterpiece, no doubt, but it expands quite a bit on what scripture actually states, and it's clear that he got most of his ideas (like a lot of people) from those references in Isaiah and Ezekiel.
 
Upvote 0

Junior Sparagus

Active Member
Aug 28, 2003
80
2
53
Minneapolis
Visit site
✟22,720.00
Faith
Christian
The Lucifer story is one that is passed down from generation to generation, which is to say, an interpretation of Isaiah 14:12, which is a description of the king of Babylon (called "morning star" in modern translations, or "Lucifer" in the Latin Vulgate). One certainly can see shared traits between the king of Babylon and the Father of Lies, and it is possible to go so far as to say that this "morning star", this so-called "Lucifer", is a type of Satan. However, you can't form a definitive, scriptural belief that Satan, indeed was once God's favored angel (Lucifer) who instigated a war in heaven. At least, you can't jump to this belief simply from the passage in Isaiah. That, to my knowledge, is the only place where the name Lucifer is even allude to in Scripture.

I think one reason why, though the devil's nature is described in detail in Scripture, to warn and educate the saints, his origins are not clearly described, nor given prominence. Of course, this is by God's design. God respects the damage that the adversary can do, but regards his person not one bit.

Nevertheless, now I'm curious to know what the word of God will offer up on this subject. Also, I believe that fantastical fictions that explore supernatural realities can be of great use to us in visualizing spiritual truths we can otherwise not comprehend. We just need to make sure we are aware of the difference in content, purpose and perfection between the works of our Christ-guided imagination and the Word.

Having said that, here are my initial answers to CalFactor's questions:

First: What exactly is the account of the fall of the devil? (either biblical or passed down through tradition of the catholic (or any) teachings.
See above and previous posts.

Second: How is it possible for the devil to turn away from God and from justice, given the original goodness of the created world?
That may be a question for the tradition, not necessarily for scripture. Right now, I tend to side w/ Ainsley's brief explanation, that Satan may have never been originally "good" (i.e. Incapable of sin) like an angel is "good." Satan's first appearance in Scripture is in the form of a creature...one that is beautiful, but wholly corrupt.

Third: Is there any known answer as to WHY the devil willed to desert justice, while the good angels did not?
Whether or not the devil was an angel is addressed above. However, the question is still valid. Why did the devil choose opposition to God? Maybe the better question is, why do we so often side with the devil? The devil never forces us to sin, he merely tempts. Why, outside of Christ, do we migrate toward sin? Why are our hearts corrupt and dark apart from the love and light and grace of God? Why did God allow for us to not choose Him?
 
Upvote 0

Pikzan

Member
Oct 27, 2003
6
0
Tainan
Visit site
✟116.00
Faith
Protestant
Adam and Eve were created with the ability to choose whether they wanted to love and honor God. They chose to disobey God. We all have that same ability to choose God or not. God could have created us without free will, but he did not want to command our love. He wanted it to be given to him freely, because that alone is true love.

God knew that there was a big chance that Adam and Even would give in to temptation and sin; that is why he already had a redemption plan ready before he created the world (1 Peter 1:19-20).

God originally created man a little lower than the angels, so it is quite possible that Satan - a powerful cherub who was supposed to guard the Garden of Eden (Eze 28) - became jealous and enraged and wanted to discredit mankind before God (perhaps hoping that God would then install himself as overseer over earth). Well, his plan backfired, and he himself was cursed by God and expelled from the garden as well. He did become the legal god of this world after the fall, but not in the way he thought he would.

After the fall Satan roamed the earth and from time to time appeared before God to accuse people before God (take Job as an example). This continued until Jesus Christ died on the cross. After that there was a war in heaven (Rev. 12) in which Satan and a third of the angels who opposed God were cast out of heaven. Satan has been thrown and bound to earth, and the angels are chained in the abyss. Demon spirits and Satan seek to mislead and destroy as many people as possible because they know what their future fate is going to be. They are filled with vengeance and hatred against God and man.
 
Upvote 0
This subject is absolutely incredible. As for your second question being answered before the first: It was possible for Lucifer to fall, as well as us and an entire universe, because Almighty God created that universe, and all it's occupants, mutable, unlike the third heavens which were and always will be, unmutable. You see, Satan didn't fall from the third heavens, although he would like us to think that he did to the end of undermining our confidence in that habitation. It is either perfect or it isn't...make up your mind about that. He, Satan, was created as a mutable agent in a mutable realm which admitted of a change in nature from good to evil, unlike the unmutable qualities and agents in the third heavens. This comes to the first question as to why he fell. Accept it as an hypothesis, which it is, but: He, Satan, was created before the man and didn't have any knowledge of man's upcoming entrance into that new realm. You see, Satan thought that He was, logically, to be the new lord of that world and fell when it was revealed that the Creator was about to make the true lord of the universe while he, Satan, was to be the head of the glorified servants of those lords!
Not only that, but this new, upcoming lord was to be made in God's image in such a way, as I do not currently understand, that he Satan was not. That is the reason for his pompous statement, "I will be like the Most High..." he wished to enjoy that unspeakable privilege which was to be bestowed upon another. This is why he fell...he wanted to throw a wrench into the gear works of the whole thing before the "Lords" had a chance to show up. Imagine his befuddled incredulity when the true "Lord" turned out to be a glorified chunk of dirt!!! However, he was badly mistaken again since God had created these angels at their pinnacle of glory while man was created on the way up. We still have to ascend to that glorious state and this is also why God snubbed them and offered salvation to us instead. It was not for sovereign reasons alone...God's gifts and callings cannot be rescinded. He wished to create these angels in a gloriously powerful state and He succeeded. He also wished to create us unto a gloriously powerful state and that has yet to happen. Some of Adam's fallen posterity must, therefore, be redeemed in order to achieving that glorious state, in order to the intention of Almighty God being fulfilled and not frustrated. The story isn't finished yet, hang unto Christ and don't let go for anything. We haven't the foggiest dream of just how glorious it will be, but it will surely be.
 
Upvote 0

Bouillant Achille

New Member
Dec 10, 2003
4
1
71
America
✟114.00
Faith
Catholic
First off, I don't know much about the books, but I think that there is a little published "Book of Enoch" or something that deals with this. However, I don't know if it is inspired literature because it seems to appear in 0% of the Bibles in print.

Anyway, I agree to a large extent with Hogrifle. Satan was created, as far as I know, long before man, along with the rest of the Seraphim and Cherubim and whatever ranks of angels were created. But then there is this creature called man, a lowely creature who -despite his constant sinning ways is garunteed salvation through Christ. God never allowed any salvation for the corrupt angels, and I think that only further went to make Satan resent mankind.
Also, Satan isn't perfect. Only God is perfect. After all, why would God make a creature superior to himself? Therefore, Angels have the ability to ruin their lives through hatred, just like man, and probably for the same reasons, like greed.

And as I stated earlier, I think that the jealousy of humans and the neverending chances they are granted at salvation make demons and devils and Lucifer our greatest enemy in the world.
 
Upvote 0

stephen1964

Regular Member
Aug 7, 2002
345
2
61
✟599.00
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Yes, you are correct about the book of Enoch detailing the fall of Satan. For the complete text check this link: http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/ot/pseudo/enoch.htmEnoch is not part of the scriptures or even the accpeted apocrypha; but is quoted several times in scriptures. It came to my attention while reading Jude.
 
Upvote 0

Roald

Veteran
Aug 30, 2003
1,165
47
43
Chicago
Visit site
✟24,081.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
One theory that I have not seen mentioned here is that Satan choose evil at the very instant of his creation. This theory came about because it would seem impossible to revolt against God after viewing His Majesty. I think that St. Thomas Aquinas expounded upon this at length.
 
  • Like
Reactions: preston08
Upvote 0

chappie82

Member
Mar 11, 2004
10
0
European Union
✟120.00
Faith
Christian
The first ever implicit reference to the devil's presence in the garden with the man and the woman is found in the Hebrew Bible Apocrypha, Wisdom of Solomon 2.24 (21-24; cf., 1.16, too). Though it purports to be from the hand of Solomon, it is actually a 1st century BCE document.

Any other examples of Satan's 'fall' in the books that were written or edited before 100 BCE are an attempt to find Satan where Satan isn't.

The word Satan, much less the character Satan in the OT, much less the entity Satan in the NT, didn't exist in the religion of God's people before they went into Exile in Babylon.

It seems that they learned of a character that fought with God in a cosmic battle from Persian influences. [how close is that the the scene in Revelation?!] And since it was Cyrus, the Persian, who not only conquered the Babylonians but also set the Jews free with all their religious paraphenalia to go back to the Promised Land, they may have been only too glad to add Satan to their religious understanding of human sin.

The story in the Garden happened way way way before the Exile, didn't it!?

The ministy of the prophet Isaiah took place some time before the Exile, didn't it!?

The ministry of the prophet Ezekiel took place during the early days of the Exile, didn't it!?

All before the Persian influences happened!

Much of the evolution of the idea and character of Satan took place during the so-called intestamental period... about which most every-day Christians know very little.

I've gone on long enough for one session tonight. nite nite!
 
Upvote 0

TSIBHOD

Voice of Reason
Feb 13, 2004
872
44
39
Arkansas
✟23,756.00
Faith
Pentecostal
Marital Status
Single
This was a message published without copyright by the printing ministry of Bill Britton about twenty years ago.
The Shining One
Author unknown

LUCIFER, THE SHINING ONE

When God speaks of "the beginning", He is speaking of the originating point of the subject in question. For example, it was "in the beginning" that He made the heaven and the earth. That is, these things had their origin in Him, and they were his workmanship from the beginning of their creation.

The Word declares that the "fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom." (Proverbs 1:7) That means, simply, that wisdom has as its originating point the place of the reverential fear of the Lord.

It, no doubt, seems foolish even to attempt to clarify so obvious a point. There is nothing at all to understanding the meaning of "in the beginning." It means just what it says. If something has existed in a certain condition "from the beginning", that means that from the time that it was formed or established, it was in that condition. Certainly, there is no difficulty in following that line of reasoning.

Yet, it is on this very point that we run into a head-on collision with a fundamental doctrine, for despite the fact that "from the beginning" obviously means at the creation of a thing, men have taught a doctrine for years that contradicts this simple statement of fact. We speak of that which is taught concerning Satan.

Fundamentalists have long agreed that Satan was, in the beginning, the "anointed cherub that covereth." They have taught that he held the most coveted position among the angelic hosts until he led a rebellion against God in an attempt to usurp His throne. At that time, we are told, Satan was cast out of heaven and became, instead of an angel, the devil that he is today.

It is amazing that such a doctrine could have enjoyed such widespread acceptance in the light of the teachings of Jesus on this subject. Please note: MAN says that Satan IN THE BEGINNING was holy, but later fell from that estate. JESUS said that Satan was a MURDERER (not an angel) from the BEGINNING. (John 8:44)

Not only that, but the apostle John, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned these words in regard to Satan's origin: "The devil sinneth FROM THE BEGINNING." (I John 3:8)

Now, if we are to believe that the Bible means what it says -- and we believe it does -- we must believe that from his very beginning, Satan was evil.

We find no conflict with this belief and the nature of God as some would suppose. We have heard the argument that God would never have created something that was evil. Our first reply to that is another question: If God creates a being that He knows is going to become evil, would that not be the same thing as creating one evil in the first place? It is, then, no less thinkable that God would create one who would become evil than just to create an evil one to begin with.

However, out of God's own mouth we offer a contradiction to the words of this argument in Isaiah 54:16 where He declares, "I have created the WASTER to destroy." We gather from this passage that Satan is a created being with a definite purpose. That purpose is stated in the opening words of the above quoted verse:

"I have created the smith (the devil) that bloweth the coals on the fire, and that BRINGETH FORTH AN INSTRUMENT for his work."

We see this purpose being fulfilled in the life of Job. Job was a righteous man ACCORDING TO THE LIGHT THAT HE HAD. He was perfect IN HIS GENERATION. That is, his perfection was a comparative perfection. In comparison to those who were living around him, Job was a perfect man. But in his inward working, God saw a spirit that did not measure up to the standard of Christlikeness, for the spirit of Christ is one of humility, and Job was not a humble man. He was proud of his righteousness. Hear the testimony of scripture on this point: "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous IN HIS OWN EYES." (Job 32:1)

It was because God desired to burn out the dross of pride in this man (who even had the testimony of God that he was a righteous man) that God brought forth the "smith to blow the coals upon the fire." Please not that it was not Satan's idea to persecute Job! Oh, no!!! It was God Himself who brought up the subject! There Satan was, presenting himself before the Lord, and God asked, "Where have you been?"

To this question, Satan replied, "From walking up and down in the earth." (No mention at all of Job.)

"Well, Satan," the Lord asked, "have you considered my servant Job? Have you noticed that he hates evil and fears God? Have you noticed that, Satan?"

Indeed, Satan HAD noticed Job, but he wasn't doing anything to him. One of the most glorious testimonies of the preservation of the saints of God is given here in this passage by Satan himself: "Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou not made an hedge around him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side?"

Oh, glory to God! There is truly a hedge around the people of God, and that hedge is Jesus Christ himself. The psalmist recognized and gloried in this fact when he said, "The angel of the Lord encampeth around about them that fear Him and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7)

"You've put a hedge around him," Satan said, "and I can't get to him!" Then he went on to say, "You must put forth THINE HAND and touch all that he hath, and he will then curse thee to thy face."

But the Lord, who trieth the reins of the heart, knoweth them that are his, and He knows who can be trested with affliction. He, therefore, said to Satan, "behold, all that he hath in thy power -- in thy hand-- only upon himself put not forth thine hand."

Brethren, don't you believe for a moment that anything in the heavenly realm is out of control. God is in full control of that sphere of action, and Satan himself is under the jurisdiction of God. If you can receive this in the spirit, you will understand that Satan has no power at all except that which God allows him to have. Do you REALLY believe that Satan could cause all the trouble in the world unless God had permitted it?? My friend, if you believe that Satan is a thorn in the side of Almighty God, then your God is entirely too small. Satan poses no problem for God. God could destroy him at any time. God binds his hands daily. It is God who sets his boundaries and limits his power -- it was, in fact God who created him in the first place -- and that was for one purpose and one purpose only: for the PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS! Beloved, when that purpose is accomplished, Satan will have completed his course as in INSTRUMENT in the hands of God who has everything under control... and then will his end come. Why, the devil himself knows that there is a time limit on his presence and activity here. Have you never read the words of Revelation 12:12 which say: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and sea; for the devil is come down to you having great wrath because he knoweth THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME."

God is constructing a temple, made of living stones, through which to manifest Himself throughout the ages of eternity, hallelujah, and Satan was created (a sinner from the beginning) as a chisel and hammer to be used in the construction of the building. The living stones that are even now being placed in this temple have been chosen, says the Lord, in the "furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10) God, however, is mercy; God is love; God is compassion. He is a healer, not a destroyer. It was, nonetheless, necessary that an oven be heated in which to purify the gold -- a furnace in which the wood, hay, and stubble were to be burned -- but God, in his nature of love, could not perform the necessary affliction. It was for this reason that He created an instrument that was capable of performing this essential action in the lives of men, for in Satan God literally created a "chastening rod."

If we can realize that behind the acts of Satan is the mighty hand of God working to bring forth gold from these earthen vessels, we can rejoice, as David, in our afflictions and trials and exclaim with him, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes." (Psalm 119:7) Praise God! When we begin to see the GOOD that comes from the assaults of Satan on our lives, we are able to appreciate all the more the greatness of our God and the depth of the wisdom of His great mind. Praise His wonderful name! He is truly a God of power and might, and ALL things are in His hand -- even this enemy whom we call the devil.

If we have now received the testimony of Jesus Christ concerning the origin of Satan, that is, that he was a "murderer from the beginning" we must now reckon with another point of our fundamental theology. If Satan was not, after all, the "anointed cherub that covereth", who was?

It is taught that the 28th chapter of Ezekiel is speaking of Satan in his "perfect state". In the 14th verse of this chapter, the subject under discussion is called "the anointed cherub that covereth", and the Lord says, "I have set thee so." This is the basic scripture for the fundamental position holding Satan as the anointed cherub.

We must raise a question here, however, as the the essence of Satan. Is he spirit or is he man? There can be only one reply to that question, of course. He is spirit. Should there be, however, one who would disagree on that point, we would like to point out that Satan, on the night of Jesus' arrest, "entered into Judas". (John 13:27) Now, we know that a man cannot enter another man. We know full well, however, that spirit can and does enter the heart of man, and it was the Satanic spirit that night that took possession of the body of Judas and performed his wicked works through him.

Please refer again to Ezekiel 28, verse 2, where the Lord is addressing the "anointed cherub" -- "Thus saith the Lord God; because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said, I am a god, I sin in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; YET THOU ART A MAN, and not God..."

PUBLISHER'S COMMENTS ON MESSAGE

As stated, the preceeding message was sent to us more than a year ago, but it was not until now that the Lord instructed us to print it and mail it out. When the shock value of the message wears off, many are going to find the Book opening up in a new way concerning end-time truths and the New-Creation Man.

Lest any should think at first glance that we are trying to glorify the devil, let me assure you that this message does just the opposite. Often I have wondered in years past why in dealing with demons, the enemy would rather be referredto as "Lucifer" (the shining one), rather than "devil," "Satan," etc. Now we know. The devil would like to have you think that at one time he wwas holy, powerful, the greatest of the angels, leading a rebellion against God, etc etc. None of this is true, nor can it be substantiated from Scripture.

This message rips the cover off, and lets you know that Satan never did have any holiness or true wisdom, that he was not created with any glory. He was created a devil, a principality, a waster, a destroyer, and a murder and a liar from the beginning. If you think that he is going to like being exposed, you should see the letters I'll be getting after he talks to people and twists the meaning of this message around.

I will be glad to make known the identity of the author, if they will write and tell us. We feel that this message is very timely at this hour of Satan's defeat, and we appreciate one of God's sons sharing it with us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kciav
Upvote 0

chappie82

Member
Mar 11, 2004
10
0
European Union
✟120.00
Faith
Christian
Mr Britten's exposition is good at points and faulty at a few as well.

If one does even a little research into the kingdom of Tyre, using a good Bible dictionary, like the Interpreter's Bible Dictionary (vol 4, p 721! :), one will see that the god of Tyre was Melqart and that the prince/king of Tyre evidently looked on himself, much like later Roman rulers, as co-regent or priest of Melqart, or even equal to Melqart! (Watch out for the political satire!)

And... verse 14 is one of the hardest to translate properly... in addition to being quite enigmatic at best. To base one's theory of "'Satan' as the cherub" on just one verse, which any Hebrew language scholar will tell you is terribly hard to understand a bit, much less fully, is like walking on thin ice or worse, hot coals or into the fiery furnace! :wave:

The prophet Ezekiel has been given a message to lament over an earthly king, one who thought of himself as a priest to his city-state deity (hence the reference to 'stones' and 'gold engravings,' a bit like the breastplate a Israelite priest would wear), that is clear. Plenty of the other verses point clearly and unambiguously to a human ruler. The rest is political satire!! :) take care, 82
 
Upvote 0

TheScottsMen

Veteran
Jul 8, 2003
1,239
14
Minneapolis, MN
✟23,995.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Ezekiel 28:1-2
"The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God;"

First, according to Josephus, this prince was Ithobalus II. He had such pride that even he claimed to be God and exalted his heart as the heart of God (v2, 6, 9). Satain ruled the king of Tyre, as showed by the association of Lucifer with him in the v-11-19. Of course, Satan will also rule the Anti-Christ (2 Th. 2:8-12; Rev 13:1-8)

Ezekiel 28:2
"Becuase thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as teh heart of God;"

Very easy to understand. This is still directed as the prince. As it says, "yet thou art a man". The scriptures go on to talk about Ithobalus II until verse 11.

Ezekiel 11:11

"Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up teh sum, full of wisdom, and perfect beauty."

The earthly king of Tyre was Ithobalus II as I noted before. The supernatural king of Tyre was Lucifer, who is mostly referred to in this prophecy, which is easily proved by the many statements that could not possibly apply an a EARTHLY man. Lucifer was perfect in beauty, which could never be said of any fallen man, It was the cause of his pride and fall (vs 17; 1 Tim 3:6)
 
Upvote 0

JT

Regular Member
Apr 8, 2003
256
3
Visit site
✟15,412.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
UK-Conservative
Something I did a while ago....


The fallen Archangel. When mankind had reached a stage where the intellect had to be developed, Lucifer was sent down as the illuminator to help us in this. On descending down into the World of Matter however, at cosmic distances from God, he developed a will contrary to that of the Creator. Instead of using the principle of supporting love, patiently awaiting our maturing, he was the one who could not wait. He thereby introduced the principle of temptation among other things, which is equivalent to the setting of snares for human spirits. This is aptly represented in the Bible as the fall of man, the beginning of the one sided cultivation of the intellect through temptation. There were many human spirits who fell by the wayside but this did not concern Lucifer, who looked down on the weaker human spirits.

Those who fell were abandoned to destruction, whereas those who withstood these temptations even became stronger. This is however a loveless principle, which led to the loss of so many spirits. His aim is the destruction of all that is weak, which he works towards relentlessly, particularly as he knows he is now cast out by God forever.

He is the Antichrist, the one behind man's one sided cultivation of the intellect, the only true enemy of God, who opposes His Will and opposes our redemption in His Word. He fights every bringer of Divine Truth and uses almost the whole of mankind as tools in his fight against the Light. His tool is the intellect, which he has induced us to overdevelop, thereby shutting off the voice of the intuition, whereby we would no more be in a position to hear the Voice of God.

Getting out of Lucifer's clutches demands an enormous amount of self conquest. There is no other way out. We must be prepared to discover and acknowledge every single fault within ourselves and making the effort to actually overcome them. This is not an easy task and many shy away form it, but for those whose goal it is to ascend, there is no other way. Lucifer, through his principle has done an enormous amount of damage to human spirits. He has even led to the disintegration of many. He however, does not entirely bear the whole blame. Part of the blame must rest with the human spirits as we have voluntarily made the decision to abide by his principles. The decision to choose has always been for the human beings to make.

The way to God lies in the use of the spiritual intuition. The use of this implement leads to a continued direct connection to the Light for human beings. In order for Lucifer to bring us under his influence however, and prevent a connection to the Light, he induced us to overdevelop our intellect and ignore the spiritual intuition. This shut us off from the Light as the intellect lacked the ability to receive from the Light. This way, we become much more tractable and he could do with us as he wished. He could then call upon us at his whim as tools in his fight against the Light. Those who have overdeveloped their intellects and have shut off their intuitions have no more connection with Light or any understanding of It. They, through the distortion that lies in them have now become Lucifer's servants.

* Note - the effects of the one sided cultivation are many, but the fact that most decisions are made intellectually rather than intuively, therefore concerning the self. The effects of interest in the self are clearly visible.

Even those who are not yet dedicated servants of Lucifer are always in danger of becoming so as long as they acknowledge the intellect as of paramount importance. They will always oppose the Light, although subconsciously. The reason for this is the specific nature of the intellect, which was designed as a counter-pole to the upwardly striving spirit. It holds down and it keeps down. It is off gross matter. That is its nature and that is the purpose for which it was made. To regard the intellect as supreme therefore, is to ask for nothing more than to be an enemy of the Light

Lastly, I will say that Lucifer is personal, not a concept. He is eternal, therefore existing from eternity, as his origin is in the sphere of Divine Substantiality.
 
Upvote 0

JT

Regular Member
Apr 8, 2003
256
3
Visit site
✟15,412.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
UK-Conservative
In the Light of Truth
Volume 3 - Chapter 35 - The Mystery of Lucifer (A small part)

Both the principle of "letting oneself go" and of temptation are so closely connected that temptation must without doubt precede "letting oneself go". The latter is thus a direct following and spreading of the Lucifer principle.

The true physician of the soul does not need to tear down. He recognises the slumbering good qualities, awakens them and then builds upon them. The true principle brings about a transformation of wrong desires through spiritual understanding!

The application of his loveless principle, however, quite naturally seperated Lucifer more and more from the Loving Will of the Almighty Creator,causing him to be cut off and cast out from the Light. Consequently he fell ever deeper. Lucifer is one who has severed himself from the Light, which is equivalent to having been cast out.

This expulsion was also bound to occur according to the existing Primordial Laws, the irrevocable Holy Will of God the Father! It could not possibly happen otherwise.

Since only the Will of God the Father, the Creator of all things, is omnipotent, and is also firmly anchored in material Creation and its development, Lucifer can quite well send his principle into the material sphere, but the resulting affects will always and only operate within the Primordial Laws ordained by God the Father and must form themselves accordingly!

Thus, in pursuit of his erroneous principle, Lucifer can encite men to set out on a road dangerous to them, but he is unable in any way to force men into something unless they themselves decide on it voluntarily!

In fact Lucifer can only lure! But man as such stands more firmly in material Creation than he does, therefore with much greater security and power than any influence Lucifer could ever yield over him. Thus every man is so well protected that it is a tenfold shame upon him if he permits himself to be enticed by this power, which is a relatively weaker power than his! He should remember that Lucifer himself stands outside the material sphere, while he himself is firmly rooted in familiar soil!

In order to apply his principle Lucifer is forced to make use of his auxiliary troops, composed of human spirits who have succumbed to his temptations!

The spirit of every man striving upwards is not only fully able to deal with them, but is far superior in strength. One single, serious volition suffices to make an army of them vanish without a trace, providing their enticements meet with no response or approval to which they can cling.

Lucifer would indeed be quite powerless if mankind would make the effort to recognise and follow the Primordial Laws given by the Creator. Unfortunately, however, men increasinglysupport the wrong principle through their present behaviour, and the greater part of them will have to perish!

It is impossible for any human spirit to fight a battle against Lucifer himself for the simple reason that, owing to the difference in nature of their species, it cannot penetrate to him. The human spirit can only come in contact with those who have fallen through the wrong principle because they are basically of the same species.

The origin of Lucifer requires that only one who is of the same or of a higher origin can personally approach and face him, and so none other can penetrate to him. It must be a Divine Envoy, armed with the sacred seriousness of His Mission and with perfect trust in the Source of All Power, in God the Father Himself!

This task has been delegated to the propesied Son of Man!
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.