And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Jesus spoke these words to the seventy when they returned rejoicing that evil spirits were subject to them through His name, to assure them of triumph over the enemy by power He had given them. The one He saw fall had been an angel of light who led the heavenly choir, but who in ambition to exalt himself and to refuse submission to the authority of Jesus drew angels into rebellion until he and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven. That fall embraces his original expulsion, the breaking of his power and destruction of him who had the power of death when the redemption price was paid at the cross, and the final destruction of Satan and the end of evil. Satan is therefore a conquered foe whom Christ's followers are to regard as conquered, accepting the victory Jesus gained at the cross as their own, with power over all the power of the enemy so that nothing shall hurt them. That authority is not in using Christ's name as a charm without faith, and no penitent soul who in penitence and faith claims Christ's protection will be left under the enemy's power, so above deliverance from devils the disciples were to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.
Setting and Occasion
The words were spoken to the seventy disciples when they returned rejoicing that demons were subject to them through Christ's name, and they assured them of success against the enemy through power given by Him. Their report of the enemy's defeat revealed his downfall in the great controversy. The setting also points to the opposition believers will face from people and satanic agencies as they serve God.
The saying belongs to the last journey from Galilee, joined to the sending and return of the seventy in Luke 10:1-24 together with Luke 9:51-56. That sending of the seventy followed the sending of the twelve to go everywhere preaching the kingdom of God and the gospel of truth, with Christ Himself to follow after in every place where they were sent. In this order is given the pattern for bringing men into responsibilities and educating new workers under direction.
As He spoke He looked forward in anticipation, with His hand lifted to heaven, to the time when the power of Satan would be broken. At that moment His divinity flashed through His humanity, so that the disciples realized the man among them was the mighty God, Creator of all worlds and equal with the Father in dignity, glory and blessing. He rejoiced with them in their faithful work that had brought success against Satan's power.
After declaring Satan's fall He directed them to rejoice above all that their names were written in heaven, for that was their greater cause for joy and greater reason for joy than authority over the enemy and that evil spirits were subject to them through His name. The connection of the saying with authority over demons shows that healing the sick and casting out devils are signs by which the Holy Spirit demonstrates the power of the gospel commission. The chapter containing it calls for a serious work requiring the whole being, heart, mind, soul and strength enlisted in God's service.
That service is not to confine labor to believers but to become acquainted with unbelievers and to place truth before those living up to all the light they have, including precious souls in the city of Melbourne. The reason is that loving God with all the heart means loving those for whom He gave His only begotten Son, whom Christ died to redeem from sin. An open door is set before believers to bring others into fellowship with the saints.
Fall and Defeat of Satan
The one who fell had once been an angel of light who led the heavenly choir, but he became an apostate angel, ambitious to exalt himself and to seek God's place, unwilling to submit to the authority of Jesus. His fall came through open contention over that authority, when he insinuated against the government of God, sought to reform it, and pried into God's unsearchable wisdom in exalting Jesus with unlimited power and command. Some angels sympathized with him in rebellion while others strongly contended for the honor and wisdom of God in giving authority to His Son. All the heavenly host were then summoned to appear before the Father to have each case decided, and it was determined that Satan with all who had joined him should be expelled. Then war arose as Satan sought to conquer the Son and those submissive to His will, but the Son and the loyal, good and true angels prevailed, and Satan with the angels he had led into rebellion was expelled and driven out. Until then all heaven had been in order, harmony and perfect subjection, with rebellion against His order and will the highest sin, but the fall brought discord and misery where there had been happiness, peace, order, harmony and perfect subjection, leaving him lost beyond redemption and unable to join heaven's worship.
The verse presents Jesus as the mighty Savior who overcame and cast out the evil one, the one who expelled the powers of darkness from heaven. They hate Him for His purity, and on earth His sinless life reproached a proud and sensual generation that hated and crucified Him. The fall He saw spans Lucifer's original expulsion, the exposure of Satan's character and of false theories of religion in all their fallacy through Jesus' agony and death, and the final destruction of Satan and the end of evil. His death was to demonstrate and expose that fallacy and break the power of Satan. In Christ's hour of suffering a mighty angel from God's presence came to strengthen Him without removing His cup, assuring Him that His death would defeat Satan and save many people.
The fall took place when the redemption price was paid at the cross, when Christ bowed His head and died with the declaration that His work was finished and God was satisfied that the human race should have another trial. That fall means Satan's power was broken and made of no effect and his defeat made certain. The pillars of his kingdom were laid hold of and broken, and the one who had the power of death was destroyed, so that mercy and truth could meet together and righteousness and peace be joined. By that victory the way was opened for believers to be justified through Christ and for the human race to receive another trial. Through Christ's victory heaven was made eternally secure and safe against Satan's accusations and deceptions, so the loyal angels would never again sympathize with him.
Since his fall Satan has worked to thwart God's plan by preventing people from being saved, and he will continue until Christ ends his career. His fall also brought suffering to others, as he was shut out of heaven and Adam and Eve were shut out of Paradise. At Mount Carmel he deceived idol worshipers, controlled their minds and held them devoted to his service, and would gladly have sent lightning to kindle the sacrifice for the prophets of Baal. But God set bounds and restrained his power, so all his devices could not bring one spark to their altars. The angel who strengthened Christ occupied the position from which Satan had fallen.
Victory for Believers
Satan is a conquered foe, and those who follow Christ are henceforth to regard him as conquered rather than as still holding supreme power. The fall from heaven declares the defeat Christ would secure for His followers at the cross, and that victory is to be accepted by them as their own. In that accepted victory they have power over all the power of the enemy, so that nothing shall hurt them. What is to be magnified is not Satan's power but Christ's power and love.
The saying was given when the seventy returned rejoicing that evil spirits were subject to them through His name, and with it came authority over the enemy, while the greater cause for rejoicing was declared to be that their names were written in heaven. That authority over evil spirits belongs to His servants, yet it does not come from using His name as a charm. At Ephesus exorcists who invoked His name without faith failed, proving that mere utterance without faith confers no power. Christ is stronger than Satan though Satan is powerful, so no penitent soul who in penitence and faith claims Christ's protection by the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit will be permitted to pass under the enemy's power.
The fall also means loss of hold over people, for through preaching of the gospel and faith in God's Word people gain victory and Satan loses his hold on them. His kingdom falls before sanctified truth, and he will lose power over all who continue to believe and glorify God. Yet the downfall is joined to continuing opposition, for the victory of Christ's work does not mean the conflict has ceased on earth. As believers serve God they will face opposition from people and satanic agencies, since he still opposes God's work on earth with great power.
Jesus spoke these words to the seventy when they returned rejoicing that evil spirits were subject to them through His name, to assure them of triumph over the enemy by power He had given them. The one He saw fall had been an angel of light who led the heavenly choir, but who in ambition to exalt himself and to refuse submission to the authority of Jesus drew angels into rebellion until he and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven. That fall embraces his original expulsion, the breaking of his power and destruction of him who had the power of death when the redemption price was paid at the cross, and the final destruction of Satan and the end of evil. Satan is therefore a conquered foe whom Christ's followers are to regard as conquered, accepting the victory Jesus gained at the cross as their own, with power over all the power of the enemy so that nothing shall hurt them. That authority is not in using Christ's name as a charm without faith, and no penitent soul who in penitence and faith claims Christ's protection will be left under the enemy's power, so above deliverance from devils the disciples were to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.
Setting and Occasion
The words were spoken to the seventy disciples when they returned rejoicing that demons were subject to them through Christ's name, and they assured them of success against the enemy through power given by Him. Their report of the enemy's defeat revealed his downfall in the great controversy. The setting also points to the opposition believers will face from people and satanic agencies as they serve God.
The saying belongs to the last journey from Galilee, joined to the sending and return of the seventy in Luke 10:1-24 together with Luke 9:51-56. That sending of the seventy followed the sending of the twelve to go everywhere preaching the kingdom of God and the gospel of truth, with Christ Himself to follow after in every place where they were sent. In this order is given the pattern for bringing men into responsibilities and educating new workers under direction.
As He spoke He looked forward in anticipation, with His hand lifted to heaven, to the time when the power of Satan would be broken. At that moment His divinity flashed through His humanity, so that the disciples realized the man among them was the mighty God, Creator of all worlds and equal with the Father in dignity, glory and blessing. He rejoiced with them in their faithful work that had brought success against Satan's power.
After declaring Satan's fall He directed them to rejoice above all that their names were written in heaven, for that was their greater cause for joy and greater reason for joy than authority over the enemy and that evil spirits were subject to them through His name. The connection of the saying with authority over demons shows that healing the sick and casting out devils are signs by which the Holy Spirit demonstrates the power of the gospel commission. The chapter containing it calls for a serious work requiring the whole being, heart, mind, soul and strength enlisted in God's service.
That service is not to confine labor to believers but to become acquainted with unbelievers and to place truth before those living up to all the light they have, including precious souls in the city of Melbourne. The reason is that loving God with all the heart means loving those for whom He gave His only begotten Son, whom Christ died to redeem from sin. An open door is set before believers to bring others into fellowship with the saints.
Fall and Defeat of Satan
The one who fell had once been an angel of light who led the heavenly choir, but he became an apostate angel, ambitious to exalt himself and to seek God's place, unwilling to submit to the authority of Jesus. His fall came through open contention over that authority, when he insinuated against the government of God, sought to reform it, and pried into God's unsearchable wisdom in exalting Jesus with unlimited power and command. Some angels sympathized with him in rebellion while others strongly contended for the honor and wisdom of God in giving authority to His Son. All the heavenly host were then summoned to appear before the Father to have each case decided, and it was determined that Satan with all who had joined him should be expelled. Then war arose as Satan sought to conquer the Son and those submissive to His will, but the Son and the loyal, good and true angels prevailed, and Satan with the angels he had led into rebellion was expelled and driven out. Until then all heaven had been in order, harmony and perfect subjection, with rebellion against His order and will the highest sin, but the fall brought discord and misery where there had been happiness, peace, order, harmony and perfect subjection, leaving him lost beyond redemption and unable to join heaven's worship.
The verse presents Jesus as the mighty Savior who overcame and cast out the evil one, the one who expelled the powers of darkness from heaven. They hate Him for His purity, and on earth His sinless life reproached a proud and sensual generation that hated and crucified Him. The fall He saw spans Lucifer's original expulsion, the exposure of Satan's character and of false theories of religion in all their fallacy through Jesus' agony and death, and the final destruction of Satan and the end of evil. His death was to demonstrate and expose that fallacy and break the power of Satan. In Christ's hour of suffering a mighty angel from God's presence came to strengthen Him without removing His cup, assuring Him that His death would defeat Satan and save many people.
The fall took place when the redemption price was paid at the cross, when Christ bowed His head and died with the declaration that His work was finished and God was satisfied that the human race should have another trial. That fall means Satan's power was broken and made of no effect and his defeat made certain. The pillars of his kingdom were laid hold of and broken, and the one who had the power of death was destroyed, so that mercy and truth could meet together and righteousness and peace be joined. By that victory the way was opened for believers to be justified through Christ and for the human race to receive another trial. Through Christ's victory heaven was made eternally secure and safe against Satan's accusations and deceptions, so the loyal angels would never again sympathize with him.
Since his fall Satan has worked to thwart God's plan by preventing people from being saved, and he will continue until Christ ends his career. His fall also brought suffering to others, as he was shut out of heaven and Adam and Eve were shut out of Paradise. At Mount Carmel he deceived idol worshipers, controlled their minds and held them devoted to his service, and would gladly have sent lightning to kindle the sacrifice for the prophets of Baal. But God set bounds and restrained his power, so all his devices could not bring one spark to their altars. The angel who strengthened Christ occupied the position from which Satan had fallen.
Victory for Believers
Satan is a conquered foe, and those who follow Christ are henceforth to regard him as conquered rather than as still holding supreme power. The fall from heaven declares the defeat Christ would secure for His followers at the cross, and that victory is to be accepted by them as their own. In that accepted victory they have power over all the power of the enemy, so that nothing shall hurt them. What is to be magnified is not Satan's power but Christ's power and love.
The saying was given when the seventy returned rejoicing that evil spirits were subject to them through His name, and with it came authority over the enemy, while the greater cause for rejoicing was declared to be that their names were written in heaven. That authority over evil spirits belongs to His servants, yet it does not come from using His name as a charm. At Ephesus exorcists who invoked His name without faith failed, proving that mere utterance without faith confers no power. Christ is stronger than Satan though Satan is powerful, so no penitent soul who in penitence and faith claims Christ's protection by the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit will be permitted to pass under the enemy's power.
The fall also means loss of hold over people, for through preaching of the gospel and faith in God's Word people gain victory and Satan loses his hold on them. His kingdom falls before sanctified truth, and he will lose power over all who continue to believe and glorify God. Yet the downfall is joined to continuing opposition, for the victory of Christ's work does not mean the conflict has ceased on earth. As believers serve God they will face opposition from people and satanic agencies, since he still opposes God's work on earth with great power.