3 Minutes
Here’s the wonderment of it all. If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
We are taught that heaven is a place where worthy souls remain in eternity in indescribable contentment in the presence of Almighty God, where no evil exists. If so, how and why was there a group of angels who chose to rebel against God? What was there, and in what form, did a growing discontent culminate in the rebellion. No bible text tells us precisely what the anointed covering cherub did to be thrown from the divine presence, down to the earth with his fellow angels. We are told that iniquity was found in him. We envision the angels as being given a choice between accepting their special non-bodily beauty as totally dependent on God’s will, yet seeing themselves as magnificent intelligent beings who were smart enough to challenge God’s authority. As creatures of sharp intuition, they did not need to use the powers of human reasoning to know that their sin deserved immediate divine retribution with no second chance. What kind of perfect mind would attempt to undermine, circumvent, manipulate, control, those who were holy subjects before God to bring them to conflict. The word says the heart of this defective one was lifted up…pride in his appearance, and the brilliance of his mind were the basis of this corruption. The results…we see the very first casualties of sin. Man had not yet been created.
The fact that Lucifer Satan was so successful in enlisting so many, in a cause that would lead to the loss of something as precious as agency with God, seems mystifying. An examination of his tactics in relation to the administration of God reveals possible answers to how he could have done so. We must remember that even today his arguments are very convincing to some. The lessons we learn must reduce the casualty count as the war rages on.
How did Satan propose or how did he promote his ideas, in the war in heaven. This angel of God who was in authority…who rebelled against God and His Son desired the “honor” and “power” of God for himself. He wanted not only to exalt what he thought should be his throne above the stars of God, but also to exalt himself above all, including God. His objective was to dethrone God. This was more than just a resentful resistance to God’s authority, more than just a strong aversion or opposition, more than just a desire to literally take over. Satan wanted to become our Father in Heaven.
What argument was presented that was so convincing as to persuade many to prefer it? We see no force used in his ill-uses. What type of guarantee or enticement must he have offered? Did he promise them a higher excellence, a compulsion of the mind having unfettered freedom? Did such minds consider any options? How was Satan so cunning as to camouflage the misery that would naturally follow sin? With what words did he fabricate the impression that such conduct would be permitted without any negative consequences?
Was Satan aware of the mortal probation that was in place for all the creation because of the presence of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that was placed on every world? This war of words, this conflict of ideologies was a rebellion against the law of God. He offered a life of carnality and sensuality, indulgence wherein nothing would be sin. His offer was a philosophical impossibility. There can be no light without darkness, no good without evil. Impossible because without law there would be more than chaos, confusion, and anarchy…there would be a desire to be like him. Pride blinded the consequences of his actions. Wickedness never is happiness.
Thank God that in the beginning was the Word that in the beginning when God created all was determined…
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