p. 3 | THE FALL OF SATAN by H. C. Giles

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Apr 25, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 17.

THE FALL OF SATAN.

By H. C. Giles

WE are now prepared to follow Lucifer in the execution of his rebellious designs. Notice with what secrecy he begins his work. Not with the open frankness of an honest purpose did Lucifer say, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; . . . I will be like the Most High" (Isa. 14:13, 14), but secretly, in his heart, with that subtlety with which wickedness has ever sought to disguise its ugly deformity and cover up its baleful results.

Said Jesus: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up [ascendeth] some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. . . . The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." John 10:1-11.

There are two ways. One is Christ, the way of self-denial, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The other is the "broad" way of self-exaltation and self-pleasing, which leadeth unto destruction. This is the other "way" which Lucifer in the beginning opened up. Thus he became the thief and robber, to kill the subjects of God's government, and to destroy the peace and harmony they possessed in blissful innocence.

"I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." This was the first step in Lucifer's scheme of self-exaltation. As has already appeared, Lucifer himself was one of the stars of God; hence the stars here symbolize the angels. Lucifer then aspired to rule (exalt his throne above) the angels. We have already seen that jealousy of Christ was the prime motive in instigating Lucifer to rebellion. The command of the angels of God had been bestowed upon Christ; for in 1 Thess. 4:16 we read that "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first." And in John 5:25 it is said that the dead are raised by "the voice of the Son of God." It is clear, then, that the Archangel is the Son of God. This honor Lucifer coveted, and he resolved to gain it.

There are other and more important motives which prompted this ambition on the part of Lucifer; these will be noticed later. "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation ["assembly," Leeser's translation], in the sides of the North ["in the uttermost part of the North," R.V., "in the farthest end of the North," Leeser's translation]." Isa. 14:13.

And when Lucifer should realize this he would be "like the Most High." Let us stop here to study this step in Lucifer's program, that we may better appreciate the blind, frenzied zeal which was inspiring the covering cherub, and which was destined to cast him from the heights of heaven down, hopelessly down to hell, the uttermost sides of the pit. Verses 12, 15.

What is the congregation over which Lucifer would rule, and what the mount on which he aspired to sit? These questions are easily answered. Obviously, the "assembly" is the great host of God's children, "the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven." Heb. 12:23.

Now as to the "mount" of the assembly, which, it will be remembered, was situated "on the sides of the North." In Ps. 48:1, 2 the following testimony occurs: "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the North, the city of the great King." What mountain is located "on the sides of the North"? Answer—Mount Zion, the mountain of His holiness, the city of our God. To this seat of supreme exaltation, therefore, Lucifer aspired to rise.

But this is not all. Mount Zion, in the scripture just quoted is declared to be "the joy of the whole earth." When will this be realized?—"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. . . . But be ye glad and rejoice forever [unto all eternity, Leeser's translation] in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people." Isa. 65:17-19. From this, then, it appears that Lucifer's scheme comprehended not merely the rule of the church for a little time here in this world, but "unto all eternity" in the world to come.

Amazing as it may appear, it was, therefore, Lucifer's bold project to secure for himself the allegiance of the angels in heaven, and the church of Christ on the earth, and, lastly, to dislodge from His throne the Ruler of the universe, and to possess for himself the sacred precincts of the holy city, the Jerusalem of Jehovah, and make it the center of his usurped authority "unto all eternity."

Mount, or mountain, is a well-known symbol in the Scriptures representing power. To sit on the mount of the assembly would be to be exalted as the Ruler of the assembly. Let this point, then, be carefully noticed. Before Lucifer could hope to occupy that seat of supreme honor, which was beautiful for exaltation, the joy of the whole earth, the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother of us (the church) all, he must first be recognized as the head of the church here in the earth.

Again, we have seen that God was to make known to the universe through the church His manifold wisdom. To defeat this plan, Lucifer must in some way get control of the church here in the earth. This, therefore, was the great objective point in Lucifer's whole scheme—the essential feature of his mysterious program, to the accomplishment of which all his "traffic" was to be directed.

An additional reason for Lucifer's design to control the angels will now be appreciated. It was God's plan that angels should be "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Heb. 1:14. This was the channel of communication between earth and heaven. These were God's messengers, by whom He would send supplies of heavenly grace to His trusting children on the earth.

If Lucifer could induce them to join him in rebellion, he could hope not only to intercept the communication between earth and heaven, thus cutting off the supplies of grace that God would send His children, leaving the church here in the earth weak, deprived of spiritual, heavenly companionship, an easy prey to his deceptive arts, but, by getting control of the angels, he would make them his agents in his own nefarious scheme, working through them to draw away the church from Christ, and thus subvert the whole government of God.

H. C. GILES.

[The next article in this series is "One-third of the Angels Join Lucifer in His Rebellion."]