Since the Scriptures do not reveal the total number of rebellious angels, it seems reasonable to conclude that the majority of God’s angels remained faithful and refused to participate in Satan’s conspiracy. Later, we will see how the angels that did fall sought to boost their number.
            Ezekiel 28 explains that although Lucifer was “cast as a profane thing out of the mountain of God,” it was still his intention to “ascend back into Heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and become like [usurp] the Most High.” By definition, there can only be one Most High. Therefore, this evil conspiracy calls for a coup of the highest order.
            It is sobering to consider the choice of the rebellious angels to join Lucifer’s conspiracy. Unlike us, they had seen God. They beheld His glory first hand. They had been in His presence and were acquainted with His majesty. Yet in spite of all this, they decided to turn away and shun God’s glory.
            To think that such a blatant betrayal did not affect God would be naïve. How it must glorify God, then, when men and woman who have never seen Him, and yet believe in His goodness, worship Him sight unseen, by faith alone.
            Remember, prior to Lucifer, sin had never been seen before. Could it be that its ramifications were not readily apparent? Could any of the angels have anticipated the horrors, the misery, and the sufferings that such a seemingly insignificant seed of pride would one day produce?
            God’s expulsion of such a beautiful and majestic being from the Mountain of God may have seemed extremely harsh. Perhaps it raised suspicions concerning His true character. Why would a loving and merciful God react so unmercifully toward one of His own cherubs? Was God really as righteous as He claimed to be?
            The awfulness of Lucifer’s sin would become extremely apparent in the visible sufferings of the human race brought about by his temptation and subsequent fall of Adam and Eve. No angel would dare question the righteous judgment to expel Lucifer from the Mount after that. In addition, the manifold mercies of God would be demonstrated in His love for the human race in sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin. After that, no angel would dare question His mercy and grace ever again.
            The Chronos Lesson: Psalm 91 explains that those who abide in God have angelic protection. Hebrews 1:14 adds that the angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.”
            The Bible also teaches that God is love and that love is the greatest of all things. In 1 Cor. 13, we are told that even though we may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge, we are nothing if we do not have love (vs. 2). Verse 5 says that those who love are not self-seeking, but rather find their highest form of fulfillment by serving others. Is this what God had in mind for His angels?
            Was He giving them the opportunity to experience love on its highest level, even though it meant serving those who had been created a little lower than them (Ps. 8:5-6)? It is one thing to serve Someone great; it is another thing to serve those who are not so great. And yet, to serve them is to serve Him.
            We know from the creation mandate given to mankind that we were created for a purpose. We know part of that intentional purpose was to be God’s representative on the earth. Now we can see why our assignment included subduing something. We were also created in response to this angelic rebellion.
            I’ve been asked several times when teaching the chronos message, particularly the restoration of all things and the eternal righteousness that follows in the Perfect Day, how we can be so sure that there will never be another angelic rebellion. Now, perhaps, you can see the answer. The heavenly angels have seen the horrific consequences of such a prideful conspiracy. Now add to this our own dual testimony of our earthly struggles and the lawlessness we endured compared to God’s great loving-kindness and tender mercies. This, too, is a part of our heavenly calling.

 

          From the moment our human ancestors, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God in the Garden, sin and its consequences have been the pervasive problem of the human race. This rebellion against God, the Creator and Giver of Life brought separation from God and introduced suffering, sickness, decay, and death into His perfect earth.
            Immediately, God set in motion His plan. The plan, from the beginning to the end, is declared in His Word (Is. 46:9-10). It unfolds in the “fullness of time” across 7,000 years. It’s ultimate purpose is “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth” (Eph. 1:10).
            “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).
            Our Lord’s first coming was not the climax, but the pivot point in the plan, for it made reconciliation and reconnection to God and the God-kind of life possible once again. That is why the angels who had been waiting so long through the ages to sing the appointed song, rejoiced, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14).
            When Jesus bore the penalty for sin on the cross of all mankind, He gave the greatest gift of all—the gift that keeps on giving. In the face of alienation and separation, He brought peace and reconciliation. He restored the possibility of personal intimacy with God.
            “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:14-17).
            In our troubled times, we are tempted to look at the natural fruit as Eve did, but instead of seeing something good, we see the accumulated effect of lawlessness abounding. But the wonderful gift of the “Son given” does not include a spirit of fear, but of Spirit-endowed power, the fruit of God’s love in us and through us, and a sound, disciplined mind established on God’s Word (2 Tim. 1:7).
            “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1: 11).
            When our Lord comes again for all the world to see, we shall experience fully the hope of our calling at the rapture. Then we shall be seated with our Lord as the heavenly, immortal government to rule over the earth for the final 1,000-years. We shall execute God’s vengeance against evil. Justice shall be served. And we shall dwell together forever with our God and Savior in eternal righteousness in the new heavens and new earth.
            Glory to God! Peace and good will to all. May your Christmas be blessed and may you know the power of your identity in Christ throughout the coming year!

            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.

     The word contradiction means to speak in a contrary or opposite way. Genesis 3 reveals the first contradiction to God’s truths and declared will. It comes by way of a serpent. At least that is the specific earthly form that a certain spiritual being embodies. Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15 identify this spiritual being.
     You see, before God created mankind, He created another race of eternal beings. We loosely refer to them as angels. Not recognizing the reality of the super-natural, inseen spiritual realm is what trips up many people. But whether or not a person believes there is a spiritual realm doesn’t change the fact that it exists.
     Colossians 1:16 confirms this other reality. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
     In our current culture, the predominant view of what is real is called materialism or naturalism. It means that what is real is only what we can sense in this physical world through our five senses. It focuses on the natural, visible world only. It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that mankind has “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature [themselves and/or creation] rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25).
     This naturalistic view makes it hard for many people to wrap their heads around the reality of the supernatural realm. Yet this invisible realm is just as real as our invisible emotions, thoughts, and desires. It is “super-natural” in the sense that it supersedes or is greater than the natural realm. It includes Heaven, Hell, God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, the devil (Satan), the evil forces of darkness, and God’s angelic hosts.
      The naturalistic view is a “dark” view in the sense that it pushes away the light of God’s truths in our culture. It robs us of purpose and meaning. It reduces our existence to the whims of mere chance and survival of the fittest, and not what is just.
      It makes it hard for people, even Christians, to see clearly. They look at the darkness in this world and the suffering it produces, and have a hard time believing that a loving God can allow such things to persist. This is why some Christians and even pastors do not believe in Hell. How could a loving God send people to such eternal torture?
      It is because they have rejected the truth of God as the Creator and accepted the lie of evolution. They reject full accountability to the Most High God. They want to do it their way, and then they blame God for the consequences of their own choices.
 
     The Chronos Lesson: Having a free will means we have choices. Choices always have consequences. Consequences enable discipline to develop. If there were no consequences, there would be no justice. This is exactly what we’re seeing in these lawless times. When there is lawlessness, society breaks down. This is why it is so important that we understand the contradiction. Stay tuned.

            “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).
            Our Lord Jesus told His disciples that they did not choose Him, He chose them. He first loved us even when we were in our fallen, unlovable state of sin. That is a really remarkable and empowering fact! That kind of compassion and grace fosters our loving response to Him (1 John 4:19).
            Because of the fallen nature, it’s natural for us to like people who like us. Yet Jesus said to each of us, “I choose you,” even when we didn’t like Him, or didn’t know about Him, or had the wrong ideas about Him. When we respond to that loving choice and choose to love and follow His ways, it becomes our sure foundation (1 Cor. 3:11).
            We are sealed for the Day of Redemption, the 7th and last Day in God’s prophetic great Week. “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity’ ” (2 Tim. 2:19).
            Of course we know we won’t do this perfectly on this side of Heaven, but that is the power of being chosen. “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…” (Eph. 1:4). We are without blame in God’s sight through the blood of Jesus. We stand in His righteousness before God our Father. It’s our sure foundation. It is this breastplate of right-standing with God that covers and protects our heart from the lies of Satan.
            The Chronos Lesson: That is why Jesus is our Cornerstone. We’re being chiseled into His likeness through the circumstances of this earthly life. Now the chiseling process isn’t always pleasant. And it can take much longer based on how we react or respond to our circumstances.
            Reacting is re-acting; that is, mimicking the same action that was done to us by those in the world. That’s what the New Testament calls walking by the flesh. Responding is re-sponding; that is, saying the same thing Jesus would say in that situation. It’s walking by the Spirit.
            We’re living in a time when the world is hacking away at us, seemingly on every front. Jesus warned us to expect this, mainly because Satan knows his time is running out. Chiseling can be a downright wearying process. That’s why we need to be reminded that we are a chosen generation.
            We were born for such a time as this. Because He chose us first, it doesn’t matter whether or not we feel ready. What matters is the power of His choice: we are a royal priesthood—kings and priests on behalf of our Father. We are a holy nation of called out ones, washed in the blood of the Lamb. We are His special people—the Church, His Body, and His Bride.
            We are His representatives on the earth with a mandate to be light in the midst of this present darkness. Because of His loving choice, we need to choose daily—and sometimes hourly or even minute-by-minute—to respond as He would. We need to guard against reacting as the world does.
            This means we don’t need to be troubled whether or not they like us. Our firm foundation is our identity in Jesus, our loving Savior. We are to speak as He spoke, speaking the truth in love. We don’t need to speak division. We need to speak about Christ’s loving choice.
            Christ came full of grace and truth—a singular, powerful force. And of that fullness, we have received grace for grace—an unending supply of grace—so that we can extend grace to others.
            That is the power of being chosen. When we choose to respond with grace and truth, it shines a spotlight on He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We stand for truth where we can and how we’re led, in order to hold back the darkness. But most importantly, we choose to respond His way with grace because we are the chosen generation that is preparing the way for His return.
            Our purpose now, even as the end of this age draws near, is to offer a merciful warning. It’s time to get into the Ark, our Lord Jesus Christ.

             With the choice clearly planted in place via the two trees, God completes His creation agenda with another unique creature. It, too, is a beautiful prophetic shadow of things to come, and it has to do with His only begotten Son.
            The word begotten literally means to bring forth from one’s own being. God next brings forth the woman from out of the man (Gen. 2:18-25). They are separate in one sense, yet one in the ultimate sense. That is why Mark 10:8 describes marriage as two separate beings being made one.
            The unique relationship is a prophetic picture of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, being united with the Body of Christ. It’s the Bridegroom and His Bride joined as one. It’s the power of complete unity and perfect love.
            God is prophetically establishing the principle by which the plan shall succeed.  God “has appointed a Day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” It is the rapture moment when the two become united as One New Man, the Body perfectly conformed to the Head.
            Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus “the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” The all-knowing God knows the choice that is about to be made before Adam and Eve make it. He has the remedy in place even before He started the work of making earth habitable!
            We may be tempted to scream, “Why on earth would you create it then, knowing the havoc that Satan’s evil would wreak among mankind and on this planet?” That is because we’re reacting to the scene from our limited viewpoint on earth. God is looking at the situation from Heaven’s perspective, seeing the whole picture and the cosmic ramifications.
            You see, God’s plan deals with a previous choice. A prideful rebellion, to be exact. This previous rebellion is what sets up mankind for our own fall and prideful rebellion. But God already has the Answer, and He is sitting on the throne of Heaven!
 
            The Chronos Lesson: We can trust the plan, no matter how things appear in the biblical story and in our own story. We can also trust the plan no matter how things appear on earth in these last Days. Remember, we were created to execute His plan. For now, we do so in part—looking in a mirror dimly—by preaching the Gospel and making disciples.
            Yet part of being in Christ is being joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17). The purpose of the rapture is to gather the Head and the Body together so that we can execute the next stage in God’s plan at the appointed time—God’s vengeance against evil. It comes at the start of the 7th great Day.     Now we are living in the final few years of this present age. We are nearing the end of the 6th day. We were born for such a time as this. In a sense, we are in boot-camp, training for reigning. Then, at the dawn of the 7th Day, we shall be raptured.
            We are rapture to be seated as the immortal, heavenly court with Jesus, by virtue of having overcome death just like our Lord. He overcame death (being birthed from death) on the 3rd day; we shall overcome and be birthed from death on the 3rd Day (when counting from Christ). The plan cannot be changed. But our assignment will change as we step into the hope of our calling as the heavenly Esthers and thwart the evil plans of Satan’s followers.