Ministration of Angels by D. M. Canright

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Dec 17, 1874

Ministration of Angels.

By D. M. Canright

ORIGIN OF SATAN.

WE have still further proof that Satan is introduced as the king of Tyrus in Eze. 28, by the testimony of verse 15: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." What! a wicked, heathen king perfect in his ways? one who never knew God, but persecuted and destroyed his people, he perfect? Can it be said of a heathen man that he is perfect in his ways? No. Then we readily see that it must relate to some superior being. Verse 12: "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty." It would not only be false, but absurd, to apply this to the king of Tyrus. The terms, "full of wisdom," and "perfect in beauty," certainly present to our minds a being of more exalted nature than man.

Now the question naturally arises, If Satan was once in Heaven, what position did he there occupy? What follows will answer this question, and utterly preclude the possibility of applying it to any mortal man, or to any being short of an angel:

"THOU ART THE ANOINTED CHERUB THAT COVERETH; AND I HAVE SET THEE SO." Verse 14. Evidently this is a reference to one of the mighty angels who cover the throne of God. Then it is very clear what position was once occupied by the person called the king of Tyrus. He was a covering angel to the throne of God in Heaven. God created him to fill that office; for he says, "I have set thee so." This was his position, his office. This, certainly, is not true of any man. Hence we are correct in applying it to some superior being.

With regard to the remarkable personage brought to view in Eze. 28, we have learned the following facts: 1. He has been in Eden, the garden of God. 2. The same precious stones which compose the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem, were once his covering. 3. He has been upon the holy mount of God. 4. He has walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire, i. e., he has walked the streets of the city of God. 5. He was perfect in his ways. 6. He was full of wisdom. 7. He is wiser than Daniel. 8. No secret can be hid from him. 9. He was perfect in beauty. 10. He was the anointed covering cherub. And, 11. God created him thus. We apply this to Satan, believing that no other application of it can be made which will harmonize all these points.

Again, Jesus says that Satan "was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth." John 8:44. This proves that he was once in the truth, and also gives the time when he left it, when he became a murderer, i. e., at the beginning. The only "beginning" with which we are acquainted is the beginning of this world. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gen. 1:1. How was he a murderer from the beginning? In Gen. 3:1-13, we learn that the devil deceived Eve, and led her into sin. In Rom. 5:12, Paul says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." We see then, that by lying to Eve, Satan brought death upon all our race. Thus he really became the murderer of the whole human family. This seems to locate the fall of Satan somewhere about the beginning of our world. John locates it at the same place. "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." 1 John 3:8.

But the important question is, Why did Satan sin? We read on: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. . . . Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Eze. 28:15-17. Here we have an intimation of what occasioned the fall of Satan. His heart was lifted up with pride. Probably he looked upon the exalted position which he held, the mighty angels under his command, the principalities, powers, and worlds, that obeyed his word, and his "heart was lifted up," and he looked upon himself as a mighty being, forgetting that his strength came from God. It appears that, under God, Jesus was the only one higher than Satan. Perhaps he now thinks he must be equal with Christ—must have none higher than himself, save the Creator. At the creation of the world, "in the beginning," an opportunity was presented for him to manifest his feelings and test his obedience to God. To crown the creative work, man was to be made. He was to be the noblest work of God. The Father consults Jesus about it, and says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Gen. 1:26. Perhaps this was the occasion of Satan's fall. It occurs about the time when he did fall, as we have seen. It was just such a circumstance as would naturally arouse his jealousy of Christ. He considered himself slighted, insulted. His pride was touched, and "he said in his heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the hights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:13, 14. Occupying so high a position as he did, perhaps he thought that God would yield to his wishes and place him on an equality with Christ. Thus he was exalted in himself, and was tempted. He yielded to the temptation, ventured the experiment, sinned, and then rebelled. "But," says the objector, "he could not sin without an evil disposition; then where did he get this? from whence came his jealous mind? Must not evil be an inherent principle in his nature? or was there not another devil still back of Satan to tempt him?" To these questions we answer that Satan neither had naturally an evil disposition, nor was there any one to tempt him to do evil. Then how was he induced to sin?

Chas. Beecher has some very sensible remarks on this point which we give. He says: "If such was the original condition of the universe, the question arises how sin could possibly enter. Some minds have felt the difficulty so strongly upon this point that they have rejected the Bible account of the matter, and denied the existence of any such sinless state of the universe. But the answer to the question is simple. Sin is, in its own nature, anomalous, and therefore mysterious; it is, in its own nature, an unaccountable thing. For the moment we admit that it is properly accounted for, i. e., the moment we have assigned a good and sufficient cause for it, that moment it ceases to be a sin. A good and sufficient cause is a good and sufficient excuse; and that which has a good and sufficient excuse, is not sin. To account for sin, therefore, is to defend it; and to defend it is to certify that it does not exist. Therefore, the objection that it is inconceivable and unaccountable that sin should enter into such a perfect universe, amounts to nothing but saying that sin is exceedingly sinful, inexcusable, and destitute of the least defense or justification. Sin is a violation of all law, a departure from all original nature, a thing essentially lawless, anomalous, and mysterious. We can identify the fact of its existence; we can describe the manner, we can discover the occasion; but the cause, the good and sufficient cause, God himself and the judgment seat will demonstrate, cannot be shown; for it does not exist."—Redeemer and Redeemed, pp. 82, 83.

Because Satan yielded to temptation, sinned, and fell, it does not follow that God created him with an evil inclination. The Bible bears us out in this conclusion; for the Lord says of Satan, "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

D. M. CANRIGHT.