The Contradiction - Part 2

            The Old Testament prophets, Isaiah and Ezekiel, introduce us to an anointed spirit being (a  cherub) named Lucifer, who ministered in God’s throne room. The name Lucifer means “light-bearer” and “morning star.” That was his original design. We’ll see the irony in this later.
            Both prophetic passages, Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, also refer to the fall of historical leaders, one as the prince of Tyre and the other as the prince of Babylon. What many people do not know is that God appointed certain heavenly beings as spiritual leaders over the nations(Psalm 82:1).  “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods” [higher ranking spiritual beings]. This is why these prophetic passages refer to what happens to the human leaders of those regions as well as the spiritual kings over them who rebelled against God.
            It’s important to realize that heavenly beings also have a will, otherwise they would be slaves or machines. True service is a choice, a way to honor and love another. Choices always have consequences. One particular choice initiated a rebellion in the Third Heaven of the unseen realm.   By an act of his will, Lucifer decides he wants to go against God’s created order. That is, each according to its kind. He wants to be like God. He wants the “stars of God” and the “congregation” to worship him!
            When he declares, “I will be like the Most High,” that is a direct contradiction to God’s supreme and sovereign rule as the Most High God. This pride-filled choice runs smack in the face of God’s created order. It cannot be tolerated because anything other than God’s perfect will brings imperfection and destruction.
            Lucifer even convinces others of his kind to rebel with him. Like a little yeast, disobedience spreads its effect like a rising loaf of disorder, chaos, and contamination. The Bible doesn’t tell us the total number of rebellious angels. Despite what is commonly taught, Satan does not take a third of the angels with him when he falls. That is a misinterpretation of something that happens at the rapture as recorded in Revelation 12. More on that later. 
            Lucifer’s pride leads to a momentous consequence, and eventually to his undoing. He rejects being God’s representative and light-bearer; he decides he wants to be Light himself. Nothing could be further from the truth, for he becomes is the chief prince of the kingdom of darkness, for in him there is no light.
            The God who is perfectly just has no choice but to give Lucifer and his rebellious buddies what they chose—to be separated from Him. They are cast out of Heaven. This is the first “Fall” that Jesus confirmed in Luke 10:18. From this point on, Lucifer is generally called the Devil or Satan in the Scriptures. Both words mean the accuser. We’ll see why shortly.
            THE CHRONOS LESSON: Satan and his evil forces of darkness are described in Eph. 6:12. The spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places refer to the fallen angels that were assigned to corrupt the nations of the world. The word wicked here means twisted. Satan loves nothing more than to not only twist God’s created order, but to twist His words as well. More on that shortly, too.
            This is why Jesus declared in John 8:44 that Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Lies, deceptions, false accusations, and half-truths are how he rolls. They are what he brings to the table. And the people of the earth have been feasting on his contaminated banquet ever since.             
            Therefore, God declares, as recorded in Isaiah 14:15, “Yet shall you be brought down to Sheol [Hell], to the lowest depths of the Pit” [a compartment of Hell]. Spoiler alert: that happens within the first 3½ years of Christ’s millennial reign over the earth, the 7th and last Day of God’s prophetic great Week.
            In the meantime, here’s a word of warning for our own time. Those people who do believe in the spiritual realm often refer to the eternal struggle between good and evil. Did you catch that? Between good and evil, and an eternal struggle. Recognizing the design of Eden, now you should know better. It’s the initial deception of Satan. He doesn’t want to admit there is Someone—namely, God Almighty, the Most High God—who is higher than the “good.” Remember, good is settling for less that God’s best.
            Also, remember that God has declared the end as well as the beginning. That end includes the end of this cosmic conflict. It doesn’t last forever. Instead, eternal righteousness comes at the end of the Days. It’s part of His chronos timetable. We can trust the plan.
            The bottom line is this: when the world complains about evil and suffering, they’re pointing the finger at the wrong Someone—Satan. Don’t fall for this twisted trap. If people choose to follow Satan’s evil, prideful ways, then they have no one to blame but themselves. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid! Choose carefully whom you follow.
            By the way, the verses that describe the earthly princes in Ezekiel and Isaiah are also prophetic references to the Antichrist. For like the earlier earthly princes, Rev. 13:2 says that Satan gives the Antichrist “his power, throne, and great authority.” How can this fallen cherub offer such a prized possession? Stay tuned.