Revelation 12:8, commentary and pictures

Revelation 12:8 describes a real war in heaven in which Michael, who is Christ the Son of God, with His loyal angels fought Satan the dragon with the angels who joined him, and Satan and his angels prevailed not but were defeated and cast out so their place was found no more in heaven.

Lucifer had stood next to Christ as first of the covering cherubs, most beautiful and exalted, but envy and jealousy of Christ, pride and ambition to be equal with God and first in power, led him to rebel without cause or excuse.

The great controversy was over God's law, for he sought to find flaw in it, change or annul it and set his own will above the Creator, but God refused any change and the unchangeable law stood vindicated.

Expulsion was necessary and just, for after long forbearance, repeated offers of pardon, and full revelation of character, his corrupting influence would have kept heaven in danger, so all who chose his side were removed and heaven was again peaceful and harmonious.

The war cast out of heaven continues on earth as the sole theater of struggle, where by the same deception he led Adam and Eve to fall and still works to make void the law, yet his defeat at the cross made certain his final destruction and the triumph of truth.

Heavenly War and Outcome

The verse describes a real war in heaven in which Michael, Christ, the Son of God and Prince of heaven, with His loyal, good and true angels fought Satan, the dragon, devil and archrebel with the angels who joined him, and Satan and his angels prevailed not but were defeated, overcome, banished, expelled, cast out and driven from heaven so their place was found no more there. That conflict began in heaven after a long, severe day-by-day course of deception and satanic wiles in misinterpreting God, Christ, and the true and loyal angels until it could be tolerated no more, and every soul liable to act on his side was driven out for the safety of the loyal. The dragon is Lucifer, who next to Christ held the most exalted position as first of the covering cherubs, holy, greatly loved, and strong in influence, yet who coveted the homage due alone to the Creator, cherished envy, sought the service and loyalty of angels for himself, and worked by influence of mind on mind as if seeking the good of the universe until his sentiments developed and many listened and believed. His formerly unquestionable character gave weight to his disaffection and deceptive representations, drawing large numbers to his side, yet though he knows the result he purposes to carry apostasy, disaffection and rebellion to the bitter end, and some today go over the same ground sustained by his heresies and sophistries. This conflict begun in heaven will be carried on by him in the last days, and the same warfare continues on earth as the battle between righteousness and sin where holy angels minister, every person must take a decided position on the Lord's side, and Satan will not prevail.

The loyal angels fought on God's side and triumphed, and those same victorious angels now minister invisibly with redeemed human beings for salvation. When Satan sought supremacy a real battle was fought in the heavenly courts in which faithful, loyal angels fought on the side of God and won, Satan failing to overcome. Those same victorious angels had shouted for joy over the creation of the world and its sinless inhabitants and over the first parents to inhabit the earth, and had witnessed the fall of man and his expulsion from his Eden home. They are now most intensely interested in the spiritual welfare of all seeking to restore the moral image of God in man, desiring to look into the plan of redemption, rejoicing whenever any part of God's work prospers, visiting the world and overseeing the work in the hands of His stewards, ministering in every time of necessity to co-workers with God, cooperating invisibly with visible human agencies as a relief-association to bind up the wounds and bruises sin has made and to save human beings perishing in sin. Before that rebellion the angels had almost never thought of law as law, for their service was not rendered in a spirit of legality or as servants for wages to secure position, increase importance, or minister to pleasure, but sprang from love for God and unity with His will in perfect oneness of taste and inclination, so obedience was delight and not drudgery.

A third of the angels were drawn away from the Father and Son to join Satan, one-third of the heavenly family going with him when cast out. Satan deceived a third of the angels into joining him, and a third of the loyal angels sided with the great deceiver because they thought he was being wronged, though he was the source of rebellion, and their deception and divided loyalty warn against sympathizing with a deceiver and turning from truth. His rebellion had spread so widely that he took one-third with him when cast out after he refused to yield his will to God. Yet when all the heavenly host were summoned before the Father to have each case determined, Satan openly made known dissatisfaction that Christ was preferred before him, stood up proudly and demanded to be equal with God and to be taken into conference to understand His purposes, and God answered that secret purposes would be revealed to His Son alone and required all the family in heaven, even Satan, to yield the Son implicit, unquestioned obedience, declaring Satan unworthy of a place in heaven. Satan then exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, challenged God to expel them also and make such a void in heaven, and declared he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and defend his place by force of might, strength against strength.

Christ Himself as Prince of life and first great Conqueror overcame, vanquished and expelled Satan, showing the Saviour's power over the evil one. The war was between Christ and Lucifer over the government of God, when Lucifer sought to change God's rule by deception and falsehood, but Christ overcame him so he did not prevail and was expelled and lost all standing in heaven. Lucifer was cast out because he wanted the place of Christ and could not have it, and Christ left the heavenly throne to come down into this world to meet him and withstand his power, which is ground for trusting Christ, taking Him into the family, teaching children that trust, believing His words and claiming His promise instead of complaining. The same two met again in the wilderness, where Christ recognized Satan from the first though he concealed true character and purposes and flattered himself he was unknown, and Christ appeared to be alone yet was encircled by ministering angels as God commissions angels to minister to all under Satan's fearful assaults, and there Christ again defeated him. His command Get thee hence, Satan proved all deceptive arts had failed and that identity and past defeat and expulsion were known, and those who defend truth are in combat with Satan and his angels as well as men, so they must not enter in self-sufficiency and reliance on strong argument, sarcasm, playing upon words, or unlawful advantage, but with firm trust in God and the humble, meek and lowly spirit of Jesus, following Christ who though victorious did not bring a railing accusation against Satan, and who died to redeem fallen man from Satan's power.

Their defeat ended Satan's place of honor, supremacy and role in heaven's government, removed him from first estate and all standing and recognition, shut him out of the abode of bliss and God's Paradise, and left joining angels sharing responsibility and consequences. Satan had held high office with a throne radiant with light, but he swerved from allegiance to the blessed and only Potentate and fell from his first estate, and all who sympathized were driven from the presence of God and doomed to be no more acknowledged in the heavenly courts as having a right there. Stripped of honor and supremacy, he and his followers became enemies of God opposing Him and the cause of truth and righteousness, and on earth he planted the standard of rebellion around which his sympathizers rallied. If his plans to regain control of heaven failed, there was no hope of regaining or controlling heaven or any part of God's creation, and the angels who joined him shared responsibility for his plans and their consequences. His plans were restrained and he was made to understand that God rules over the inhabitants of the world, and to choose him now is to be numbered in his army, dishonor Creator and Redeemer, gain nothing but eternal death and lose recognition in heaven, while to choose Christ the only begotten Son who came to redeem the fallen race is to receive power to resist every temptation, build character free from Satan's tendencies, and win victory by doing right because it is right.

After removal no taint of rebellion was left and heaven was again peaceful and harmonious with the host adoring the God of justice while mourning former companions, and immediately the Father consulted Jesus about making man to inhabit earth on probation to test loyalty before rendering him eternally secure. The Son of God and the loyal angels prevailed while Satan and sympathizers were expelled so no place remained, no taint was left, heaven was again peaceful and harmonious with all acknowledging and adoring the God of justice while mourning the fate of former companions whose loss was felt. Their rebellion against God's law was incurable so they could not remain among the heavenly host, and their removal restored peace and harmony. Immediately after the expulsion the Father consulted Jesus about carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth and place him upon probation to test his loyalty before he could be rendered eternally secure, with promise that if he endured he would eventually be equal with the angels, have God's favor, converse with angels, God deliberately not placing him beyond the power of disobedience.

While some angels joined Satan in claiming equality with God and refusing to submit to Christ's authority, others opposed his plans and defended God's wisdom in giving authority to Christ. Satan waged war because he was ambitious to exalt himself and refused to submit to Christ, Heaven's commander, claiming he should be equal with God, and the angels were marshaled in companies under their commanders. Jesus passed through those terrible scenes and watched the history and unfolding of sin from the beginning, seeing the evil power of sin bewitch heavenly angels until they sympathized with Satan and joined his rebellion, with all consequences of sin before His vision. The outcome was expulsion from the abode of bliss so his place was found there no more.

Lucifer's Exalted Position and Ambition

Lucifer stood next to Christ as first of the covering cherubs, most beautiful, holy, undefiled, greatly loved, strong in influence, with special light beaming brighter than around other angels, perfect form, noble bearing, powerful intellect, and high position as light-bearer enriched with strength, glory and wonderful power, while Jesus had pre-eminence as one with the Father before angels were created, associate and co-worker in creation, holding supremacy over the angels. He was son of the morning, highest of created beings next to Christ in power and glory, perfect from creation until iniquity was found, honored above the host and entrusted with guidance and guardianship of heaven committed to him. He envied Christ's first place next to God as one with God to do God's will, felt his beauty and exalted position were not given due honor in being second to Christ, and spread that suggestion until angels sympathized and his party grew strong against Christ in a war that could not be corrected.

He coveted the homage due alone to the Creator, sought equality with God, to be preferred over Christ, to be first in power and authority and ruler of the universe rather than light-bearer, to place his throne above God's and rule independently, and could not obtain what he coveted and demanded. His jealousy led him to seek God's throne, to demand a position above Christ, and when refused war followed ending in defeat and loss of place. He concealed his aims while using deceptive insinuations to sow doubt about Christ, won support for his claim to be preferred, and would not accept the position assigned him.

Envy and jealousy of Christ's first place next to God began the rebellion; desiring to be first and unable to have all power and glory he rebelled and lost place, and envy is not mere temper but a distemper disordering all faculties. Though an exalted archangel he became dissatisfied because not accorded supreme honor, questioned God's purposes and impugned His justice, told angels who honored him he lacked the honor his position demanded and should be exalted equal in honor with God and Christ, and bent all powers to allure angels from allegiance. His complaints at first met no favor yet urged again and again were finally accepted by formerly loyal happy subjects, cherished envy and jealousy gaining power that paralyzed reason and destroyed honor and loyalty, with no shadow of justification or excuse, so he and sympathizers were cast out to be found there no more. He then envied our first parents and tempted them to sin, thus ruining them and all the human race.

Pride and ambition cherished in his heart brought banishment, and self-seeking, desire to live for self and make himself a center of influence opposing the law that none lives to himself continued as rebellion on earth. His rebellion was incited by determination to live for self, and through ambition and selfish desire he led humanity into sin and ruin, establishing a kingdom of his own after expulsion and seeking to draw the world to his rebellion. Having swerved from allegiance he became envious and jealous, drawing sympathizers into rebellion, and no soul alienated from God can remain in heaven.

Sin originated with him without reasonable cause and remains unexplainable; if cause or excuse could be found it would not be transgression, and his transgression of the law had no excuse, defence or justification. Why he rebelled has not been told, leaving his conduct an unexplainable problem, and his formerly unquestionable character gave weight to his disaffection and deceptive representations drawing large numbers to his side to carry apostasy to the bitter end. Beautiful exalted angels fell because they would not obey heaven's laws, though where sin sprang from in them is impossible to tell, and their choice gives no excuse to yield to sin for if excuse could be found it could not be condemned. His rebellion was against the laws of God's government afterward written on stone, and nearly all the human family joined it by disloyalty.

There was no withdrawal of divine influence and no deficiency in God's government to give cause for disaffection, so the divine decrees and government are vindicated and are not responsible for sin. Not in the slightest particular was heaven's order deficient, giving no just cause for rebellion, and therefore those bearing responsibility in God's work must likewise give no cause for disaffection and must maintain principles according to heaven's order.

He became dissatisfied because God had not revealed every secret of His purposes and disregarded what was revealed about his assigned work, stirring the angels under his command to share discontent and causing their fall.

In a council in heaven before the creation of this world the covering cherub asked to be made prince to govern the world then in prospect and was refused, because Jesus Christ under God was to rule the earthly kingdom and the law of heaven was to be its standard for the new world and human intelligences. Lucifer became jealous of Christ, jealousy grew into rebellion carrying many holy angels, yet Jesus was not deceived by sophistry but stood true to principle and resisted every line of reasoning, evidencing that every angel might have stood, so Lucifer prevailed not and his place was found no more in heaven.

Controversy Over Law and Government

The great subject of controversy in heaven was God's law, the ten commandments afterward written with God's own finger upon tables of stone, given to govern the high order of intelligences upon condition of obedience with no provision made to save those who should venture to transgress it. The happiness of the angelic host consisted in perfect obedience to that perfect and unchanging law, each having his special work assigned, until rebellion against it set the rebels against heaven, for sin is the transgression of the law. Satan was the first rebel and great leader of all rebellions through bold rebellion and contempt for the Creator's law, claiming angels needed no law but should be left free to follow their own will, and that same controversy over the law that caused his fall has continued ever since as the great test question dividing everyone into the loyal and the transgressors. Those who knowingly break that law and teach others to do so cannot enter heaven, for rebellion and disobedience cannot be carried into God's kingdom where sin has no place.

War broke out in heaven when Satan rebelled against the order and will of God and the authority of Jesus, Heaven's commander and the Son of God, refusing to submit to Him while ambitious to exalt himself, reform the government of God, conquer the Son of God, crowd out Christ, and claim the highest place above the only begotten Son. All heaven was in commotion as angels were marshaled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head, Satan and the angels who sympathized with him fighting against the submissive angels, and their defiance of God's law was followed by the attempt to blame Christ's reproof for causing their rebellion. The good and true angels won, the Prince of life overcame, and by the Father's decision Satan and all who rebelled with him failed to overthrow God's government, would not repent and accept the rule of God nor listen to the highest authority which is God Himself, and were banished, expelled and driven out to have no place there any more.

He sought to find some flaw in the law in order to argue that it must be changed, charging that God had given a law that man could not keep, and after deceiving thousands of angels and drawing them to question the authority of God's law and the justice of God's government he was cast out. He sought to change or annul the law of God and to make his own word and commands equal with Jehovah's, placing his own judgment above the Creator's and his will above Jehovah's and thereby treating God as fallible, while the fallen angels remain united as with iron bands in determined opposition to the great moral standard that governs all intelligences in Paradise and in the many worlds God created. The conflict began with that effort to make God change the law of His government and continues on earth as he leads men to question the words of God, to cover transgression with robes of righteousness as angels of light, to present flattering inducements into sin, and to prove by his own failure to keep God's law that people on earth cannot keep it either. The pope's attempt to adjust God's law to his own ideas repeats that rebellion on earth.

He prevailed not because God refused any change, for when the first suggestion of a change in God's law was made in the heavenly courts it was met by God with a decided No, and not the smallest jot or tittle was given over to be manipulated. Satan, next to Christ the most exalted being in the heavenly court, charged that the law should be abolished or altered to meet his request, wanted God to change His unalterable law, but was not permitted to do so, was overcome with his sympathizers, and was cast out with the angels that had taken sides with him. The law was not changed in one jot or tittle, proving God wise and unchangeable and Satan's charge false, proving he was not right and that God has not abolished His law as he claimed He should. The law of God is a transcript of His character, as unchangeable as His character and as unalterable as His throne and His character, so if any change had been possible it would have been made then to save the rebellion in heaven, and had the law been changed in even one precept since his expulsion he would have gained on earth after his fall what he could not gain before his fall. Therefore the law remains with all its binding force upon every human being, proved also by Adam's fall and Christ's sacrifice, for if the law could have been changed to meet man in his fallen condition Adam would have been pardoned and retained Eden and Christ could have been retained in the heavenly courts without the immense sacrifice, but instead the penalty of transgression was death, Christ became man's substitute and surety, Adam lost Eden and with all his posterity was placed upon probation, and every soul's salvation is determined by obedience or disobedience to the unchanged law.

In this prophecy the dragon represents Satan primarily and pagan Rome secondarily, pagan Rome being his chief agent in making war on Christ and His people during the first centuries of the Christian era, as when Satan moved Herod to seek Christ's death. Christ had entered into a covenant with God to vindicate every specification of God's character as expressed in His holy law and to refute Satan's lie by giving Himself as a sacrifice for sin, thus revealing to the heavenly universe that the law is as unchangeable, immutable, and eternal in its character as Jehovah Himself. Though Lucifer had the advantage that he could lie, deceive and accuse while God cannot lie and moved serpent-like in a crooked, wriggly, twisting course, God moved in a straightforward course of truth and justice to vindicate His law, warned Lucifer as only God can warn, allowed him to go on until his true character was revealed, and pure truth proved a match for falsehood. By giving His own life to maintain the honor of God's law Christ destroyed the works of Satan, proving the truth that was truth when the world was made will remain truth when the earth is purified for the saints, while that same controversy over God's law remains the great test dividing the loyal and the transgressors into two parties who blindly pursue the same warfare against God's law that Satan began in heaven.

Deceptive Methods in Heaven

After a long severe day-by-day course of deception he hid his real purpose while insinuating doubt and suspicion into angelic minds by influence of mind on mind, as if seeking the good of the universe, misinterpreting God, Christ and the true loyal angels until it could be tolerated no more. His power was deception, and by seducing statements he won the confidence of many angels and drew them after him until open war broke out and Michael and His angels fought against him. That hidden work had to be allowed to fully develop before it could be dealt with, God letting what was in him work out until wickedness originating with him came to the surface and had to come to an end in the heavenly courts. Then there were two parties, Satan warring on one side and God and His angels on the other, and he was overcome, defeated, and thrust down to this world with every soul liable to act on his side driven out for the safety of the loyal, after which there was peace in heaven.

He spread rebellion by stealthy adroit underhand suggestions, placing his own thoughts in angelic minds, winning a few at a time, leaving insinuations to develop until angels openly communicated the new theories. He pretended loyalty while putting subtle sophistries into minds, then called angels to state their objections, deceiving a large number, gathering many to listen to specious devisings without compromising himself, ensnaring the unsuspecting and bringing what had never before been seen in heaven. He placed thoughts in minds of angels who supposed he was in harmony with God and the Prince of heaven and expressed assent, then repeated those suggestions to the highest Authority as disaffection from members of the royal family, and presented those he had deceived as originating the suggestions and calling for investigation. He covered his tracks so greatly admired for beauty and exalted loveliness that suspicion and distrust of God and distrust of one another came in without anyone being able to define how. The same enemy now works upon human minds in the same way, exercising deceptive power not only upon inexperienced youth but upon men and women of mature years, especially men bearing large responsibilities, seeking to link up with them to fill their minds with evil devisings contrary to the mind of God and put them in danger of changing leaders, and carrying on the same work of creating disloyalty in churches by bringing in one error after another to bewilder minds.

He won confidence by seducing statements, falsehood, false teaching and misrepresentation against God, appealing to sympathies, making good appear evil, misstating Christ's words and giving false meaning to every truthful statement. Through insinuations angels were turned against God and Christ, believing God and Christ, though infinitely powerful and majestic, were their enemies and Satan their benefactor. By ingenious misrepresentation he deceived angels, claimed God's perfect unchanging law needed to be changed, persuaded many to join him, and made it appear that God misjudged him. His lie against God continued on earth when he used the serpent to persuade Adam and Eve to trust his words instead of God's, declaring God was withholding the higher education that would make them as gods, bringing sin into the world, and his false sentiments still press upon God's people so that when they accept them Christ is compelled to bear their shameful infirmities.

He used false science, false assertions and subtle scientific theories and sophistry with hypnotic deception, presenting deceptive scientific problems to sow rebellious seed with apparent innocence until it took root. He worked in the heavenly courts by sophistry and hypnotic deception, a deceptive science, and his sophistries were accepted there even though he did not prevail. His science is taking captive the minds of those who associate with him, seen in mesmerism and hypnotism, which men and women must not study or tamper with but must resist. The same science by which Adam and Eve were deceived is deceiving men today, with doctors and ministers influenced by the hypnotism exercised by the father of lies, whose disobedience estranged humanity from God and separated earth from heaven, so ministers and lay members nigh and afar off must be guarded from being misled by deceptive underhand working to obtain control condemned by the law of God.

He promised a new and better government with freedom, claimed Jehovah's law hampered them and that change would work for the great advantage of the heavenly family, suggesting he could do most wonderful things if unhampered. Concealing real purposes after leaving the immediate presence of the Father dissatisfied and filled with envy against Jesus, he assembled the host as one aggrieved, relating the preference given Jesus to his neglect, declaring sweet liberty at an end and that a ruler had been appointed over them to whom they must henceforth yield servile honor. He assured them he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs, would never again bow to Christ, would take upon himself the honor which should have been conferred upon him as commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice, and promised that if he attained his true exalted position great good and freedom would come to the entire host. He worked with mysterious secrecy under appearance of reverence for God, insinuating doubts concerning laws governing heavenly beings and claiming angels being more exalted and holy and incapable of error needed no restraint because their own wisdom was sufficient guide, while representing the exaltation of the Son as equal with the Father as injustice to himself and claiming he also was entitled to reverence and honor. He professed to be seeking to promote stability of the divine government while secretly bending every effort to secure its overthrow, striving to reform God's government because discontented and unhappy that he could not look into unsearchable wisdom and ascertain purposes in exalting the Son and endowing Him with unlimited power and command, and he flattered himself he would win all angels to his side and be equal with God himself with his voice of authority commanding the entire host.

He accused the loyal angels of the very disloyalty he pursued and charged upon them the overthrow he was endeavoring to accomplish. When evil originating in himself appeared he refused to repent and instead began accusing the heavenly angels, beginning the work of faultfinding and accusing. That same policy of professed support for divine government joined with secret rebellion and with accusing the loyal as guilty marks his final conflict with God's people, and that same work continues when he gains the least advantage over people to weaken moral power and then discourage them until they criticize others.

His rebellion began with murmuring and pitying himself over what he thought was lack of due consideration, entertaining disaffection, refusing to keep it to himself, and telling others he was not treated as he should be. He spread criticism and rebellion through subtle means over a long time before exposure, stirring up selfish unconsecrated minds with a spirit of criticizing and accusing against those in positions of trust, telling others of mistakes and errors, creating alienation and strife, and bringing unjust and false charges to discourage and destroy God's servants. By sowing unbelief, discord and disloyalty he led others to murmur and complain, so that root of bitterness springing up defiled many, impressing the mind and stirring passions to unite with evil, getting them committed to the wrong side, then carrying them step by step farther until bitterness toward brethren is believed right and going on believed necessary. The same work continues on earth, with Satan working everywhere among churches to produce differences, discord and strife for supremacy, carried on by those supposing their own wisdom supreme and holding theories infallible, producing confused untruthful statements and unscrupulous principles in those becoming his helpers, bringing severe trials against those trying to carry forward God's work with fidelity without partiality or hypocrisy.

His work was secret underhanded pretense carried on with guile and deceptive undercurrent working, plotting in secret while pretending loyalty. He worked in an underhanded way with every possible deception to obtain advantage, concluding he could work better than God and Jesus Christ, producing conflict between two powers in heaven, and his settled rebellion was incurable. His deception involved false inspiration that led rebels to believe they were acting in truth and righteousness while claiming holy inspiration, spreading falsehood and accusing the brethren. For that reason everything secret and underhanded for any purpose and in any form must be shunned, with no guile in lips, motives or practice and no undercurrent working, but openness as the day, for a rebellion patterned after his first rebellion does not prevail and loses its place, as seen when ministers working in subtle deceiving manner while still paid, carrying churches by house-to-house falsehoods and opposing present truth, are exposed and go out beyond recovery.

Justice and Necessity of Expulsion

Expulsion was necessary because the tempter's presence would have kept the angels in constant danger from tainting and corrupting influence, and every soul liable to act on his side was driven out for the safety of the loyal after a long, severe day-by-day course of deception and satanic wiles in misinterpreting God, Christ, and the true and loyal angels until it could be tolerated no more. In the heavenly courts he cast blame for his defection upon God and Jesus Christ, claiming he would not have gone on as he did if they had not so firmly resisted his plans, and by so misrepresenting his case he found sympathizers and drew many angels from allegiance. The same rule applies on earth, that a corrupting student who incites others to disobedience and disloyalty to God and loves the wrong kind of knowledge must be separated from school as Satan was separated from heaven, though such discipline is reserved for very grave fault.

God did not immediately use power to punish or destroy but allowed the conflict to reveal character, each angel choosing a side so that rebellion and judgment became clear to the heavenly host and allegiance became clear and justice manifest. Rebellion was not ended by immediate destruction because God allowed evil to develop fully so loyal angels could see Satan's character and recognize God's justice and love, the long delay reflecting patience and the danger of uprooting good with evil explaining why He bore with Satan. Their continued existence allowed the nature and consequences of sin and the justice, mercy, and unchanging character of God's law to become clear to all created beings, and the history of their rebellion became a lasting warning against rejecting God's authority.

Message after message calling to reform did not reform them, for after stubbornly rejecting repeated offers of pardon and opportunities to repent and submit and continuing to misrepresent God, removal became necessary to vindicate the justice of His rule and the honor of His throne. They persisted in disloyalty and refused to acknowledge wrongdoing, so their place was found no more there, and Satan's power of seduction continued as a schooling in deception, fraud, and all unrighteousness. His rebellion had spread so widely that he took one-third of the heavenly family with him when cast out, after refusing to yield his will to God, worshiping his own ideas and plans and refusing correction, so that justice decreed his expulsion and he could no longer claim God's mercy and love.

God bore long and permitted the enemy to work out his plans so the universe of heaven could see the goodness of God in contrast with the character of Satan, so the unfallen worlds would not be taken unawares and would be prepared for change, so He could have the final victory and gather the true and loyal under one head. He permitted him to continue his work so that his character, the results of sin, and the justice and mercy of God's government could be fully seen by all created beings. Their removal vindicated God's character before heaven and the unfallen worlds which had witnessed the conflict between Christ and Satan. That defeat and loss of place was meant to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature and terrible results of sin, showing what must be the fruit of setting aside divine authority, testifying that with the existence of God's government and His law is bound up the well-being of all creatures He has made, standing as a perpetual safeguard to all holy intelligences to prevent deception as to the nature of transgression and to save them from sin and its punishment.

Angels in heaven were on probation, and those deceived by Satan failed to bear the test brought upon them and did not prevail, so they fell and their place was no longer found in heaven. The same experience set in operation in the heavenly courts is repeated on earth, where those exalted to high positions of influence with great opportunities and great light refuse to heed that light because it does not agree with the desires of their hearts, turn aside counsel to open the door to seductive influence, and are defeated and lose place, and their cases will be tried in the judgment before final execution of sentence upon all on earth. After being shut out they repented and wished reinstatement, willing to take proper place or any place assigned, weeping and imploring to be taken back into favor, but were refused because heaven must not be placed in jeopardy and all heaven might be marred if he were taken back, for sin originated with him and seeds of rebellion were still within him, and their sin, hate, envy and jealousy had been so great that God could not blot it out and it must remain to final punishment.

Heaven allows no dissension or strife, so Satan who sought to carry out his own will instead of God's, with all who joined his rebellion, has no place there and must ultimately be destroyed. Self-seeking entered the heavenly courts but was cast out, and selfishness will never again find place there. Their expulsion brought them into strife, discord and despair, excluded them from heaven's worship and the joy of Christ's presence, and left them lost beyond redemption with misery as the result of rebellion and disobedience.

War Continued on Earth

Expulsion from heaven left this world as the sole theater of the struggle between right and wrong, involving all humanity. Thrust out with no place found there anymore, the fallen leader determined to make earth his kingdom, set up his own kingdom, plant his standard and erect the ensign of revolt here. His rebellion and influence in heaven preceded his work with humanity, for having begun rebellion against divine government he desired to bring the whole creation to unite with him, and with the earliest history of man he began efforts to deceive the race while looking on the beautiful home prepared for Adam and Eve and laying plans for their fall. His defeat there did not end his conflict but gave his enmity a new field in plotting the ruin of the race, and moved by envy at beholding in the happiness and peace of Eden a vision of bliss forever lost to him, he determined to incite disobedience to bring guilt and penalty, change love to distrust and songs of praise to reproaches, plunge them into his own misery, dishonor God and cause grief in heaven. So he carried forward on earth the work begun in heaven.

The same deception by which he led angels to rebel was then used against Adam and Eve, and their fall began the continuing conflict between good and evil on earth. After expulsion he worked to gain them as his property by misrepresenting and falsely accusing God, and they believed the lie and placed themselves under the banner of the prince of darkness. By lying reports about God he turned them from allegiance and overcame them, and by that fall sin entered a world created perfect without spot, stain or imperfection, and death entered by sin with trying consequences continuing to the close of earth's history. He used the serpent's falsehood to cause their fall, and his defeat in tempting Christ afterward showed the struggle did not end in heaven.

Having overcome Adam and Eve he boasted he had gained the human race and claimed earth, Eden and the world as his dominion and headquarters, yet these were his claims, not proof of rightful ownership. He thought he had gained possession because they had chosen him as ruler, claimed forgiveness was impossible so the fallen race were his rightful subjects and the world was his, but the Son, one equal with the Father, was given to bear the penalty and provide restoration to favor and to the Eden home, undertaking to redeem man and rescue the world from his grasp, so that the controversy begun in heaven was to be decided in this very world on the very field he claimed. To Christ and the loyal angels he boasted of that success, claimed the Eden home as his, declared that by conquering Adam the monarch of the world he had gained humanity as subjects and would possess Eden as headquarters and establish his throne there as monarch of the world. His deeper plan was to wrest them from God by beguiling them to disobey and transgress law so they would become subjects of wrath in rebellion like himself and his angels, hoping if pardon were provided he and his angels might share mercy, and if not they could unite with Adam and Eve, take Eden as home, and by access to the tree of life in the midst of the garden gain strength equal to holy angels so that even God could not expel them, while he himself waited shut out at heaven's entrance taunting angels as they went in and out in contempt of authority.

The defeat did not end the struggle but he carried the same work from Adam to the present, tempting men to distrust divine love and doubt divine wisdom. By falsehood he turned the first pair, then demonstrated his principles in the antediluvian world and worked them out in Sodom and Gomorrah, and after the earth was repeopled men threw off restraint, united with the great apostate in hostility, and transmitted disloyalty to posterity as sacred duty to make void divine law, so that in all time inhabitants have lifted that banner and confederated with satanic agencies. Having failed to prevail in heaven he now leads a large confederacy, his church called the synagogue of Satan because its members are children of sin, working with great power in and through the children of disobedience to carry out that same rebellion, constantly working to cast off divine law, confuse good and evil, and exalt treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty. In the great closing work the powers of evil will unite in desperate struggle with deceptive plans to ruin souls, with ministers and physicians and lawmakers uniting in rebellion and thousands taking place on the side of satanic agencies, some wearing pretentious righteousness as form of godliness without power, while those heeding sophistries and rejecting light are gradually converted to his theories until too late they see holy angels in warfare against all departed from faith.

The warfare begun in heaven continues under new disguises through fallen angels who, created sinless and equal in nature, power and glory to the faithful, fell through sin and since expulsion have joined in organized warfare against divine authority and human peace and happiness. It continues through spirits impersonating the dead spreading teachings that undermine Scripture and oppose God. Though driven from heaven he continues that warfare on earth under new disguises, still working through fallen angels to deceive. Those fallen angels did not lose the education and knowledge gained in heavenly courts but brought it with them, now using high intelligence to divert minds and grasp souls by weaving precious intelligent words and beautiful sentences into writings and publications, picking out sentences of the Bible and putting something else in their place. Through false religious powers professing a lamb's character he still wars against divine law.

Since the fall he has not been stupid and careless but has been learning, and his rebellion shut him out of heaven without destroying his powers or making him a beast. He turned great strength against heaven's government and grew more artful in tempting, laying deeper plans covered with religious garment to hide deformity. His power to tempt and deceive is now tenfold greater than in the apostles' days, and has increased and will increase until taken away, with wrath and hate growing stronger as time to work draws near its close. His success in tempting Adam and Eve and introducing sin emboldened him to boast proudly to heavenly angels that when Christ should appear in man's nature He would be weaker and would be overcome, pointing to victories through appetite, lustful and corrupt passion over the first pair, over the old world, over Israel with nearly all who left Egypt dying in the wilderness so the Son did not lead His favored people into Canaan, over meek Moses tempted to take glory God claimed, and over David and Solomon induced through lust despite special favor to incur displeasure, and claiming he could yet thwart salvation through Jesus. According to his own arrangement he beset Christ with manifold temptations, Christ without food forty days answering Israel's years of wandering, while Moses on special occasions had been that long without food yet felt no hunger pangs, harassed by no vile powerful foe, elevated above the human, enshrouded in divine glory and specially sustained. Christ came to defeat him and open escape from his power, practicing rigid self-denial, conquering in the long wilderness fast and when world dominion was offered for worship, living a whole earthly life of perfect submission presenting the complete contrast of obedient Son with disloyal son, with final triumph perfected through death opening free salvation, taking the curse's stigma and laying down precious life to wrest the last weapon for gaining world kingdoms so man might be free.

For a time he seemed to hold advantage and triumphed in apparent victory because he could lie and move in a thousand crooked deceiving ways while God must pursue the straightforward course of truth and righteousness, but defeat came when God unmasked him and revealed his true character through Christ, divinity clothed in humanity coming as the world's light to scatter thick darkness and reveal his workings. When Christ cried It is finished, he and his angels were uprooted from the affection and confidence of the universe, their lost place being place in sympathy and confidence of unfallen angels until then in doubt because of his deception, and the cross settled doubt by revealing the contrast between God who moves straightforward and cannot lie and the adversary crooked as a serpent. By persisting in lying to sustain himself instead of submitting he revealed himself as accuser, deceiver, liar and murderer, and in the death of the Son the deceiver was unmasked and uprooted himself from affection of the loyal universe, proving himself no safe and just leader. All heaven rejoiced at the resurrection, because complete sacrifice and resurrection proved power to bind the strong man and despoil his goods, and through redemption defeat was made certain, securing heaven forever against accusations with final destruction to end evil and restore peace. The determined warfare between God and the devil, good and evil, right and wrong, begun when angels rebelled, has been waged incessantly ever since and still lies ahead, now including the difficult warfare against self requiring complete subjection of appetites and passions, constant watchcare over the heart, suppression of every evil desire and unhealthful practice, purification of the soul temple from defilement, and prompt correction of every departure from laws of life, health and God, because denying harmful lust partly subdues it and brings the body to more healthful condition to continue warfare with stronger faith and clearer perception and gain mastery over every hurtful warring lust. That heavenly rebellion under power of a lie, together with the deception leading to disobedience, opened floodgates of woe, but through truth restoration may take place and all who believe may be brought back to allegiance as sons and daughters and laborers together with God.

Prophecy and Final Victory

Revelation 12 to 18 belongs to prophecies being fulfilled now while the last message of warning goes to all people. It stands just before the very last call to the churches in Revelation 18. Then follow the taking of the beast and the false prophet and casting them into the lake of fire, the binding of the dragon who started the great rebellion against heaven in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the resurrection of the wicked, the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ on this earth.

Revelation 12 portrays the last great conflict between the obedient and the disobedient, in which one side fails to prevail and loses place. All on earth are divided into only two parties, only two classes in the world, those who stand under the bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ, Prince Emmanuel and Prince of God, and those who stand under the black banner of rebellion, darkness, and Satan the prince of darkness. Those under Christ bear the sign of obedience given in Exodus 31:12-18, abide in His love by keeping His commandments even as He kept His Father's commandments, and prove love by keeping His words, while those who do not choose Christ range themselves on the wrong side. Rebellion originated with Satan in heaven and he did not prevail, so his place was found there no more, and all rebellion against God is directly due to satanic influence. Those who set themselves against the government of God enter into alliance with the arch-apostate, the great apostate expelled for refusing loyalty, and he exercises power and cunning to captivate senses and mislead understanding and cause everything to appear in false light, so that like Adam and Eve they see only great benefits to be received by transgression.

The heavenly war in which Satan and his angels failed to prevail and lost their place began in heaven and will be carried on by Satan in the last days. The same warfare continues on earth as the battle between righteousness and sin, where holy angels minister to advance God's cause. The same two parties continue in this world, for he who concluded as an exalted angel in the heavenly courts that he could work better than God and Jesus Christ worked in an underhanded way with every possible deception to obtain advantage, producing conflict between two powers in heaven, did not prevail, so he and his satanic agencies had to be shut out of heaven and are now on the earth. That great conflict Satan began in the heavenly courts will soon be finally decided as people choose either obedience to God or allegiance to Satan. Every person must decide which side to be on and take a decided position on the Lord's side, with assurance that Satan will not prevail.

His usurped authority will soon end, but in his final effort he will seek control of the world and draw every soul not surrendered to God into alliance against heaven. He is playing the game of life for the souls of every human being that they may perish with him, gathering into his ranks all who are not on the Lord's side for still another battle in which he intends to take not only the kingdoms of the earth but also the kingdom of heaven.

The failure of Satan and the angels he misled, though he had been the most exalted angel next to Christ, points to certainty that truth will prevail and win the victory. The Lord's host, led by Michael, restrains Satan's destructive purpose against God's people, and the Lord will not allow them to be defeated. The leader of heaven's rebellion who did not prevail and whose place was found no more there is still working with his legions behind human opposers to assail the work of God and to spoil and ruin the medical missionary work by corrupting it with heresy, infidelity and unbelief, so those in the faith and message of truth must cut loose from his misleading influences. Yet he fails to overcome and the work of God will finally triumph, so those who make Jesus their fortress and strong tower need not fear or doubt the outcome.

Lucifer and his angels failed in rebellion and were cast out of heaven, and Satan's defeat was made certain through Christ's redemption at the cross, securing heaven forever against his accusations and deceptions. His final destruction will end evil and restore peace. Having fallen from heaven, he has since worked to thwart God's plan of salvation, and his rebellion will end when Christ brings his career to an end.

Doctrine of Obedience and Exclusion

The high and happy estate of the holy angels could be retained only upon condition of obedience, for the law ordained to govern heavenly beings is as sacred as God Himself and requires implicit obedience from all in heaven and on earth. Their happiness and place depended on that obedience, with each having special work, and the most exalted angel next to Christ refused obedience, questioned Jehovah's authority and brought war in heaven. He and every angel who united with him lost place and were expelled and driven out, proving disloyalty to the laws of God's kingdom forfeits place there. The verse therefore means heaven requires loyalty and truth to God's law, and God has graciously given man probation to try whether humans will prove loyal and true to those same laws. He who spared not the exalted angels will not spare disobedient men, and the defeat warns Adam and Eve that they are similarly situated and must obey or lose high estate and be plunged into hopeless despair and death.

Sin belongs to Satan's principles, and he was thrust out because of sin, so anyone who indulges and fosters it shuts heaven's door to himself. Otherwise Satan would again gain a foothold there. Heaven once had one sinner in Satan, war broke out, he and his followers were overcome and found no place any more, and no other sinner will be allowed to enter the golden gates of the New Jerusalem. Only a sanctified life that measures with the life of Christ can enter, with every harp tuned to praise, while traits reflecting Satan such as selfishness and jealousy have no place in the heavenly courts. Human beings are on probation with characters being formed and recorded for that entrance.

There has been only one rebellion in heaven, started by the angel most exalted next to Christ who contaminated a large number and had to be turned out, and God wants a commandment-keeping people whom He can bring in without creating a second rebellion. Rebellion against obedience to all the commandments results in being thrust out, and the same outcome awaits those who have had light but refuse to keep them, for there will be no open door for them. To admit them would bring a second rebellion which God will not allow. Satan was the first rebel and great leader of all rebellions against the ten commandments afterward written with God's finger on stone, and he prevailed not, leaving heaven to pure angels who delight to do God's will. Justice required that expulsion after disaffection broke up peace, happiness and harmony, and justice still stands at heaven's entrance demanding holiness and purity in all who would see God.

Nearly all the human family have joined that same rebellion by disloyalty to the higher law, openly transgressing it, trampling the Sabbath and breaking the fourth commandment by honoring a papal institution framed by the Man of Sin instead of keeping God's sanctified rest-day. God will not take those living in open violation into His glorious presence, for His indignation is aroused at open daring rebellion. Those who refuse to obey during probationary time could not with safety be received, for they would oppose the law of His government just as he did. Mercy has opened the gates to every obedient soul, but the change from earth to heaven does not change character; happiness results from characters formed in this life after the image of Christ, and saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth. To open the gates irrespective of character would produce a worse disaffection and rebellion than existed before expulsion.

Heaven still cannot admit anyone charged with robbery, adultery, evil speaking, false dealing or other intolerable traits, for this would lead to another warfare, and God in love gave His law to make those traits known and lead men away from them. Characters may now be formed after God's character and fitted for entrance, with only commandment-keepers having right to the tree of life and entering through the gates into the city. The rebellious cannot enter, for Satan first in rebellion lost place and now leads others to disobey, and to enjoy future glory secured by the great sacrifice the will must be brought under subjection to Christ's will. Rebellion began in heaven and will not be found there again, and God's people are called to obey His law and live loyally to Him. As after rebellion he was left with no place, so will those who continue in rebellion against God's government and laws have none.

Just before Christ comes in majesty and glory to take vengeance on the rebellious, a proclamation of God's law goes forth so every disloyal subject may return to allegiance and all are left without excuse. Those who keep the law and keep His Sabbath holy are one with God in the controversy commenced in heaven over the principles of His law, showing they are His people and preserving knowledge of Him as Creator. Disloyalty continues Satan's contention and strife, and he who began dissension now employs his force to bring dissension, criticism, doubt and lack of harmony among church members through unconverted professed Christians. That same counterworking carried on from the heavenly courts is seen on earth when people put aside the Sabbath and put in its place another day with no sanctity, unsatisfied while others conscientiously observe it, expending property among heathen nations and tongues to spread the false day.

The rebellious forces lost place, their rebellion began there, and the same spirit now works through deception causing people to call sin righteousness and righteousness sin. Satan the originator of sin was once expelled because he would not acknowledge sin was sin but claimed it to be righteousness. God's law plainly specifies what constitutes sin and what righteousness means, so calling sin righteousness opposes that law and results in expulsion. His attempt to amend God's law, placing his own judgment above the Creator's and his will above Jehovah's and treating God as fallible, is repeated on earth by the pope's attempt to adjust God's law to his own ideas.

Christian Life and Resistance

Heaven requires loyalty and truth to the laws that govern God's kingdom, and disloyalty forfeits place there, for before disaffection heaven was closely attached to God in tender fellowship with goodness and impartial love as natural instinct, the heavenly current flowing unclouded and spotless purity reflected everywhere under God over all. Lucifer would not obey the government of heaven and was condemned to this world with the disloyal angels, and God has graciously given man probation in probationary time to try whether humans will prove loyal and true to those same laws, with Satan playing the game of life for every soul and Christ working for every soul, so that those consenting to receive the moral image of God become like Him in character and those refusing Christ's character lose heaven, while the heavenly host now works on behalf of people against his power and people can work in companionship with those angels if they will.

Many angels sympathized with Satan and were cast out and lost heaven, and angels striving for the highest place did not prevail but had to be shut out. Their loss warns not to give up the battle, for giving up means losing heaven and losing the soul, and winning heaven and shunning hell requires holding to Jesus Christ by faith with blessing attending every step, making covenant with God by sacrifice, standing faithful and true as steel to principle, keeping living connection with God, and ceasing wrestling for own way against God, because as fallen intelligences they are determined to war against God and those seeking to obey Him, working against pains taken to bring people into right relation to God and turning to do mischief toward God.

After the war in the heavenly courts Satan and his followers were cast out and lost place, yet that fallen foe still confronts human beings with crafty wiles, temptations, and satanic sophistries flooding the world, and unless kept by Christ's power people will certainly be led away. Safety is found not in leaning on human power or the arm of flesh but in leaning upon the divine arm, and those partakers of the divine nature walking humbly with God in prayer by faith will not be beguiled and cannot be touched though exalted rebels who knew righteousness and unrighteousness yet sought higher place instead of doing given work now watch for every opportunity to gather followers by deception. He is a conquered foe cast out by Christ, so followers are to look upon him as conquered and accept Christ's victory on the cross as their own, with the omnipotent Holy Spirit as defense of every contrite soul and Christ not permitting any penitent claimant of His protection to pass under enemy power, and though Satan is powerful Christ who cast him out is mightier, so believers should not magnify Satan's power but magnify Jesus' power and love trusting God will never forsake His children, while those walking in obedience will be watched over, guarded, strengthened, and caused to ride upon high places.

The same conflict appears in Satan's efforts to tempt and overcome people who want to obey God, and prayer and living faith bring victories in this struggle. War ended with devil and angels emptied out with no place anymore, leaving two agencies in this world, the Power ruling in the heaven of heavens and the devil and his angels whom believers must contend with as long as God deems essential, requiring knowing God's rule, living in humility and meekness, believing every word of God, staying in communion with the Higher Power through prayer, and receiving help from heavenly intelligences whose power makes earthly powers give back.

His work in heaven was secret underhanded pretense carried on with guile and deceptive undercurrent, so everything secret and underhanded for any purpose in any form must be shunned, with no guile in lips, motives, or practice and no undercurrent working and deception, but openness as the day. Lucifer as first traitor by ingenious misrepresentation deceived angels yet prevailed not so place was found no more, and the same deceiver told Adam and Eve God was withholding the higher education that would make them as gods or as God. He still presents sophistries to ministers and medical workers about popular religion and higher grander education causing men to develop into gods until no place remains for God or Christ, and as long as men consent to listen subtle influence weaves seductive theories until they love what should have been turned from at first sound, impregnating the mind and deadening sensibilities like hypnotism, so loyalty requires refusing even to listen lest minds be poisoned like a deadly viper and corrupted in sentiment.

The same casting out is repeated on earth when the gospel is preached, dispossessing Satan of dominion in hearts and minds of those glorifying God, casting him and his angels from minds of men so through faith in the preached Word men gain victory and devil loses hold until he loses power over all continuing believers as his tottering kingdom falls before sanctified truth, for he was once an angel of light entrusted with important position but coveted more power to be even as God and by unholy apostasy became with followers angels of darkness with no place. When believers accept his false sentiments Christ is compelled to bear their shameful infirmities, and as Adam and Eve were deceived by declaration God withheld higher education making them as gods, men today remain in like danger and need precious truths God has given to protect from present deceptions.

His working among angels in heavenly courts is the pattern for present working among God's people, for as he worked then he now works with poisonous influences and sophistry to ensnare many who ought to understand truth, and churches must be wide-awake to keep him from succeeding. Having failed to gain victory in heaven he now seeks it by filling minds of those who should proclaim truth with sophistry and misleading ideas turning them from work, with the same sophistries accepted in heaven later deceiving first parents and continuing to mislead. Out of selfish spirit cherished before fall he and angels lost place and are now active on earth walking through every room where God's work is done clothed in garments of light watching every branch with eager interest, urging false principles and cheapness to destroy sacred elevating principles, imbuing hearts with same selfish spirit until selfish motives creep almost imperceptibly, unscriptural methods interweave, unity breaks, and blindness results. The same enemy works upon human minds as upon angels, exercising deceptive power not only on inexperienced youth but on mature men and women especially men bearing large responsibilities, seeking to link with them to fill minds with evil devisings contrary to God's mind and put them in danger of changing leaders, to hinder obedience and waste time on objections.

The rebellion that did not prevail and lost place is reflected when church members justify going to law against brethren, misrepresent God's character while claiming loyalty, stand loyal to righteousness' enemy, and caricature, mimic and ridicule burden-bearing ministers, and to act as accuser and opposer of God's servants or justify ridiculing by silence is sacrilegious misrepresentation offending God which if unrepented excludes actors from place among redeemed in heavenly courts just as rebels lost place. Satan the first great traitor rebelled against Omnipotence and prevailed not so place was found no more, yet rebellion continues through satanic agencies clothed with light still contending against Omnipotence, and professed children of God who make difficult labors of appointed messengers, oppose and block God's work by human devising, and resist admonitions place themselves under rebellion's banner on the side of the first traitor, deceive souls, dishonor Redeemer, and cannot have peace, with hope only in seeing peril, confessing folly, changing, and cooperating lest heavy account be settled. When evil originating in himself appeared he refused to repent and instead began accusing heavenly angels, beginning faultfinding and accusing, and that work continues when he gains least advantage to weaken moral power then discourage until people criticize others, so believers must end all faultfinding and accusing, look to Jesus and His wounds, have His blood applied to guilty conscience, yield will wholly, give up sins, seek forgiveness and sanctification, and draw nigh to God.

False sympathy commenced in heaven at the fall and has existed ever since, when sympathizers joined rebellion and were expelled with no place found, setting pattern for siding with co-workers when reproved. It must die because it blunts straight testimony, excuses crooked character unworthy of Christian name, opposes right action by church, and pleases Satan, while God will have only those earnestly striving to be right, and those supporting rebellion against order and discipline share its consequences. Before expulsion angels looked to Lucifer placing confidence in his greatness and losing sense of Christ and God's presence, and with many deceived angels trusting his wisdom and supporting rebellion they were shut out with him and found no place anymore. That warns never to place confidence in human greatness or trust princes however exalted nor sanction in anyone a course weakening faith in God's Word, for those in responsible positions have great power and if pursuing wrong course will lead many astray, and trusting created greatness turns attention from God and leads astray especially when false sentiments must be met.

The verse means Satan's effort to bind different interests under one control failed and God would not sanction it, and the same evil in milder form enters God's institutions when influences work to bind interests under one control, as seen in calls to consolidate publishing under one controlling power in Battle Creek and to bind all medical and missionary interests under medical association control there, which God forbids with warning against confederacies, consolidation, binding agreements and restrictions putting brethren's movements under men wanting their word as controlling power. God has given light regarding this apostasy ending in defeat with neither him nor angels prevailing, contained in Patriarchs and Prophets, Daniel and the Revelation, and Great Controversy, with truths needed now as never before to be widely circulated by books, tracts and periodicals so truth reaches minds and opens blind eyes. Rejecting God's authority and sent light bears destructive fruit for people and angels, seen again in human history, and after casting out he came to Eden with lying reports about God which Adam believed so sin entered and death by sin, whose first disloyalty's consequences must still be met in labors for God becoming more trying until close of earth's history.

Defeat after rebelling against law and causing part of angels to fall did not end enmity against Christ, so those seeing and obeying truth's light will be harassed and oppressed, with Satan instigator of every injustice inspiring agents to hurt Christ by bruising bodies of His people, restrained only by God's interference from full league against good to dethrone God. God is present in every court marking condemnation of servants and silencing of voices, recording injustice and oppression as done to Christ in saints, hearing prayers of imprisoned or chain-ganged as He heard Abel's blood, and will avenge wrongs. He lost contest with Son of God and exalted place, having been happy exalted angel yet as fallen still bearing kingly form with noble features as fallen angel but every good debased and every evil developed, countenance full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief and deceit, noble brow receding from cunning sly penetrating eyes, large frame with flesh hanging loosely about hands and face, and sly evil smile making beholder tremble growing horrible when fastening victim, rejoicing with angels that causing man's fall could pull down Son of God and purposing when Jesus took fallen nature to overpower Him and hinder salvation.

He and joined angels overcome in war lost place, would not repent, were cast to earth retaining great intelligence but losing connection with God and discernment, with rebellious work patterning evil angels now leading opposition to God's servants and influence corrupting heavenly family through ambition and selfish desire. Defeated and expelled with no place remaining, identified as originator of sin cast from courts, he seeks to control children whose parents have not taught snares, in a real event with Lucifer as leader and instigator. He concealed aims then urged war to dethrone God but could not overcome Christ, sought supremacy through human agents, and his rebellion is the model applied even to the American Civil War over slavery.