SATAN AND HIS ANGELS by F. M. W.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 16, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 49.

SATAN AND HIS ANGELS.

By F. M. W.

It has been shown in the preceding article that there are spiritual beings in the universe called the angels of God. These are ministering spirits, assistants of the Father and the Son, in the accomplishment of man's redemption. To every struggling soul the thought that just beyond the curtain of his vision, working in the unseen, but working just as really and truly, are friendly intelligences, is indeed cheering. But the happiness of this thought is somewhat marred by the further thought and knowledge that there are likewise evil agencies at work, counteracting the efforts of the good.

As our world is now constituted, the influence of every positive power is counteracted in a degree by the influence of a negative. There is darkness as well as light; misery as well as bliss; evil the same as good. And while there are good angels, the angels of God, there are also evil angels, the agents and emissaries of Satan, the arch deceiver.

The study, from the Word of God, of the origin of evil, and the course it has run in connection with the history of man, is more interesting than a fairy tale or a story of adventure. There was a time in the history of God's fair universe when no chilling breath of winter or darkening shadow of night blighted springing hope or clouded the luster and glory of right-eousness divine. The universe of God was peopled with myriads of holy, happy, and guileless beings. Hence there was a time when Satan, in his character of to-day, did not exist. The lot he chose was of his own seeking, free and voluntary on his part. In God's providence, his creatures were made free moral agents. This was necessary to the development of character. God chose not to be worshiped by machines, or in slavish fear, but voluntarily and of free choice. He says of Satan, through the prophet Ezekiel, "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." And then the reason for Satan's downfall is indicated as pride of heart on account of the beauty of his person and the position he occupied. Eze. 28:12-19. That position, next to the throne of God, that beauty, made resplendent by the beams of glory radiating from the person of divinity, should have inspired in the heart of Satan deeper love and gratitude to his great Benefactor. On the contrary, it led to exaltation of self. He fell from his high and holy estate of purity, and for the first time in the history of heaven, the presence of sin and death was felt in its quiet and peaceful domain.

Satan's Ambition.

The designs of Satan in his departure from God are brought to view in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, verses 13 and 14. His heart led him to desire equality with God, to become ruler of his companions, "the stars of God," the angels of heaven. In thus seeking to establish an independent rule and government of his own, and in drawing away followers from the government of God, he must, in the very nature of the case, have brought charges against the Most High, representing his government as unjust, oppressive, and tyrannical, and promising to those who would accept his own leadership increased privileges and greater freedom. A division was created in the heavenly host. The issue was sharply drawn, and every intelligence took his stand for or against this usurper of God's prerogatives. When the pleadings of love could no longer avail, and divine forbearance could be no further prolonged, Satan was expelled from the heavenly courts. 2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 12:3, 4. He and his evil host were separated from the loyal and true.

He who had created the angelic host by the word of his mouth could have forever blotted from existence this arch-rebel and his wicked followers. Why did not God do this? Perhaps an answer may be found to this inquiry in the consideration that God performs all of his acts not alone with reference to himself, but with reference to the minds of his created intelligences throughout the universe. God understood the designs and purposes of Satan. Not so, however, with many who had still remained loyal to the right. Loyalty to God and integrity to principle had kept them from joining forces with their former companion. But while they deprecated his course, his charges against God and his government had not been without effect. The minds of the loyal and true were still harrowed with the thought that possibly there was a shadow of truth in the representations of Satan. Should God destroy at once the arch deceiver, it would but strengthen this doubt in their minds. Hence God proposed to let Satan run his course, to permit him to follow his own plans and policy, demonstrating to all the universe the falseness of all his charges and the integrity of the divine government. Hence God does not restrain Satan, but allows

him untrammeled liberty in the pursuit of his purposes.

This earth is created in its Eden beauty and freshness. Man in the image of his Maker is given it as a possession. He likewise is placed upon probation. In an evil hour he falls a prey to the wiles of the deceiver. In love the plan of salvation is devised, and Christ is promised as man's Saviour and Redeemer. He comes to the earth as a representative of the government of God. At every point he is besieged by Satan and his minions. With hellish cunning and fury they dog his footsteps and seek to sully his integrity. But at every point they are repulsed. Again and again Christ reiterates the statement, "I came not to do my own will, but the will of the Father that sent me." In his forbearance, his love, his patience, he demonstrates to the inhabitants of this earth, and to the intelligences of all the universe, that the government of God is built on principles of love and liberty. Satan accomplishes His death, but that death was in itself a victory. From it he rose in glory triumphant, ascending to the Father, to forever stand as man's advocate against the charges and representations of the "accuser of the brethren." That lowly life on earth, a living representation of the character of God and of the principles of his government, that ignominious but triumphant death on the cross, that glorious resurrection from the tomb and ascension to the Father, together with the spirit of malignity, hatred, and wicked design exhibited by Satan, showing more strikingly its utter wickedness in contrast with the pure, spotless life of Christ, sounded the death-knell of sin, and presaged future redemption from sin's contaminating influence.

In the person of his followers, Christ is still crucified by Satanic hatred. With an intellect strengthened by exercise and sharpened by use, Satan will work with all deceivableness until the end of the world. When every soul shall have taken a stand, then shall the final expression of divine justice take place. Satan and his followers will have proven themselves unworthy of further mercy or leniency. It will have been demonstrated to the entire universe that the effects of sin are only baneful in their results, that a further prolongation of Satan's existence would be an insult to justice, a blot upon the fair escutcheon of heaven.

Satan and his host are summoned forth to their doom. The fires of the last day that restore the earth to its Edenic beauty consume sin and the originator of sin. God says of Satan (Eze. 28:19) that he shall never be any more. He, with the wicked hosts who have followed him in his mad career, shall be as tho they had not been. Once more the banner of heaven will float over a clean universe, and from every heart shall rise songs of praise and adoration to the One who has demonstrated his love and proven the integrity and justice of his government. Col. 1:20; Eph. 1:10. Then will it be that every creature that is in heaven, and in the earth, and such as are under the earth, and those that are in the sea, will be heard saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5:13. May the reader and the writer have a part in that glorious praise service at that time.