Deeper Truths About Jesus, The Son Of God

There is only one text in the entire Old Testament, that I have found which indicates there is a Father and a son relationship. Notice: “Who has ascended up into heaven, or descended? who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His son’s name, if you can tell:” Proverbs 30:4.

So, what does this mean? It means that the Father has purposely allowed Himself to be hidden not only from the human race but the whole universe. So this has been a great mystery since the very beginning of the Great Controversy. However, there is an appointed time period in which this mystery is going to be revealed.

Notice what Paul says on this very subject: “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” I Tim 6:14-16.

Again Paul writes: “God (the Father), who at sundry (different) times and in divers (many) manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person;, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Heb 1:1-3.

Now, I want to share with you what Jesus prayed to the Father re: His intimate and devoted relationship to the Father before His incarnation (birth as a human being in Bethlehem) and here on earth as well. Notice how Jesus is reminding the Father of His strong and brave stand for the Father before the “Great Congregation” which would have been the same as the Heavenly Council we read about in the book of Job when Jesus, as the Lord, asked Satan where he had come from, Job 1 and 2. This obviously was a regular type of meeting or confernece with all the Sons of God, whom I believe were the representatives of all of the planets of the universe. And Jesus is the head of this convocation. So, this is what Jesus is referring to here in Psalm 40 and Psalm 22:22 – 31 while he was hanging on the cross. In both of these prophetic Psalms he was pleading with the Father to remember how He has stood bravely in defense of the Father. And then on the cross, in his hour of supreme suffering, He is asking the Father to stand by Him.

Jesus Looking Very Humble

But let’s go back in time. What was the real reason Jesus had to come in a body of flesh? And did “Jesus” have an Old Testament name? What was His name before He was born in Bethlehem? How can we figure that out? Do we have any clues? Yes, we do. As we already read in Heb 1:1 God the Father created the “worlds” or universe or cosmos by His Son. So, it was after the creation of the worlds or cosmos that the Great Controversy began. But what was the issue? Psalm 8:4, 6 gives us hint, a clue. “What or who is man (Adam), that you are mindful (caring) of him?” KJV. Another verse reads: “What are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals that you care for them?” Good News. The New Revised Standard Version translates Ps 8:5 thusly: “Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with gloryl and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet.”

In 1947 a 445 page volume was compiled from the writings of EGW and published under the title: “STORY OF REDEMPTION.” The very first chapter is entitled: “The Fall of Lucifer.” From pages 13 to 19 the author explains how and why Lucifer started a rebellion among the angels in order to try and take over the government of heaven. It was because he was not consulted about the creation of planet earth.

He knew that the creation of this planet was in some way or other a challenge to his efforts to exalt himself and take over the whole universe. But he was not allowed to know the plans of the Creator which made Lucifer very angry. And now we can see this is true as we study the history of the Great Controversy. Satan has been making war against God and the human race from the very beginning. Adam and Eve and all of their children, down to our time, have been created to be “witnesses” for our Creator. The Question is: Are we willing to become a witness for Jesus by telling others via our voice as well as written material the real truth about our heavenly Father? It is time my friend because Rev 14:6-12 reveals that “The hour of His trial or judgment has come.” Yes, the God family itself is on trial before the universe. The Father is waiting for His own creation to vidicate and acquit Him of the false charges Satan has made since the very beginning of time. You are my witnessess says the Lord.

The following two quotes from “STORY OF REDEMPTION” reveals the events which transpied in heaven itself which led to the creation of planet Earth as we read in Gen 1:26. “Let us make man in our own image and after our likeness and let or give them dominion over all things.” Paraphrase. As I have already explained above, the creation of man on planet earth was so that we could grow up and become witnesses to the fact that our heavenly father truly is LOVE.

Now, put with this what DA 19 tells us that “our little world is the lesson book for the universe.” And then add Rom 8:19 and 20 about how the Father allowed or permitted mankind, beginning with Adam and Eve there in the Garden of Eden were allowed to fall into a dark dimension which is called SIN and CORRUPTION. “For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the Sons of God (Elect). For the creature was made subject to vanity , not willingly, but byl reason of him who has subjected the same in hope. Because the creature (mankind) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of courruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole cretion groans and travails in pain together until now.” Rom 8:19-22.

So, when we put all of these little bits and pieces together a picture begins to emerge which helps us to add other texts of Scripture along with them such as Ezek 28 and Isaiah 14 giving us more insight. But the greatest insights come from the life of Jesus as revealed in the four gospels. For example, Jesus said in Luke 10:18: “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” I just searched the internet via Google for any comment from anyone re: Jesus’ statement here that He saw Satan fall or falling from heaven but did not find any insightful comment as to what Jesus actually meant. Of course, Jesus was in heaven as Michael the archangel when Lucifer first rebelled and was cast out as we read in Rev 12. I have explained this in great detail in my book INTO THE FATHER’S HEART showing that Lucifer/Satan cast himself down and “left” heaven of his own free will so he could go to the other worlds to try and persuade them to follow him.

Providentially he was not succeed in leading any other world or worlds or galaxies astray. Only planet earth was permitted to be deceived into believing the lie that the Father and His creation is flawed. So, what Jesus was explaining was that as the disciples gave the report of their wonderful success Jesus immediately knew that the angelic realm along with the entire universe were getting their eyes open about the truth of God’s creation which was exposing Satan’s lies about the Father and His special creation of humanity and planet as nothing but lies. Now, let’s go back in time to discover what caused Lucifer to leave heaven.

“The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.”

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“Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him. He thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself? Story of Redemption, pg 14.

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“The Father consulted His Son in regard to at once carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth. He would place man upon probation to test his loyalty before he could be rendered eternally secure. If he endured the test wherewith God saw fit to prove him, he should eventually be equal with the angels. He was to have the favor of God, and he was to converse with angels, and they with him. He did not see fit to place them beyond the power of disobedience.” Story of Redemption, pg 19.

At this point I am going to insert here what the Lord led me to write about this same time period and scenario in my book INTO THE FATHER’S HEART.

“Jesus Christ came on the scene of this world in a human body and lived an absolutely perfect life and yet Satan did everything he possibly could to make His life miserable. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way, for He had never broken the law. Here was a human being (actually God in the flesh) obeying the law both in the letter and in the spirit deserving Satan’s admiration and respect and all he receives is hatred and ridicule, abuse and persecution. The angels stood aghast. They knew that human beings deserved to suffer and die, but not God’s Son. He never had done anything wrong. And so Jesus’ perfect life began to tear away the mask Satan had been wearing for 4,000 years. It was seen that God’s law was holy, just and good and that it could be kept after all. Satan’s charges were seen to be unjust, untrue and totally without foundation. But, the Father was reaching out to Lucifer with his arms of love through Christ.

“Oh, Lucifer, my beloved angel, don’t you see how much I love my creatures? Don’t you see how I am forgiving them and healing them? I can do the same for you. Oh please come back to me and let me heal you. Please don’t break my heart anymore. I am longing for you to come home. Don’t you see, if you come back then all of your angels will come too. Oh, please don’t keep fighting me, for you are going to kill yourself.”

Is God Able To Keep His Own Law?

Law

But Lucifer (Satan) wouldn’t listen. He was getting angrier every minute that Jesus was alive for Christ was proving Satan a liar before the universe. Satan was becoming desperate. He had to do something to cause Jesus to sin, if he could. He had to create circumstances which would be very trying to one’s patience so that Jesus would show anger or impatience, which would be out of harmony with God’s revealed character in the law of God. In other words, can God or will God be able to live up to His own law or is He a hypocrite who is only manipulating us with a law that He himself does not keep for He cannot keep it? This was the heart of the issue. Satan saw his disguise was being torn away. His mask was about to be taken off by Jesus’ beautiful demonstration of love. The unfallen worlds and angels watched intensely as the controversy drew to a close.

Satan knew that Christ’s death would fulfill all the types of the Old Testament. He had succeeded in turning Israel against the Savior in spite of all of the miracles. The sacrificial system was an object lesson of what the Messiah would do when He came as well as what would be done to Him. But this gory, terrible, bloodletting system of animal slaughter was not God’s perfect will. He had just been putting up with it and using it as symbols of Himself and what they would do to Him and His son when He came in the flesh. Gal 4:4. And to make matters worse Israel had perverted it. Satan had taken advantage of this and no doubt told the universe that God actually enjoyed all this butchery and carnage. This was the kind of person Satan made the Father out to be, a tyrant and a monster. The devil told the universe that he was doing them all a favor in revealing the truth about the Father so they could be free from his despotism. From the doctrine of eternal hell-fire torture, we can see what the devil has told all the universe about the Father. “God is a sadist and the devil is his hit man to punish lawbreakers.”

But when Christ began to teach and heal the people, the eyes of the universe began to be opened. Their sympathy for Lucifer was beginning to diminish. Listen:

“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he (Jesus) said unto them, I beheld Satan as Lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:17-18.

Fallen Angels

Demon possession was rampant in the world when Jesus came. Satan was gaining more and more power over the minds and bodies of men. All of the misery of the world Satan had charged to the Father. And the Father took the blame for it. All of the universe looked on. And then Christ came and grew up. Never once did He sin. Finally He began His ministry of love and deliverance. Satan’s angels were being cast out of the minds and bodies of human beings and the universe saw the divine image restored. Here was the very Son of God being kind to sinners whom Satan had said God hated and loved to torture. He said no one could keep the law and all who broke it were his prisoners. Isaiah 14:16, 17. By the doctrine Satan taught about eternal torture before the cross and also since the cross, we can see how Satan gained the ear of the universe. (See Luke 16:19-31. The Pharisees believed this and taught it.)

Lucifer’s Argument

The Watchers

His argument probably went something like this: “Inhabitants of the universe, I regret to tell you that the Creator has a law that no one can keep. As proof that what I am telling you is true I ask you to behold planet earth. Here are these wretched creatures, formed in the very image of God the Father Himself and yet even they cannot keep this foolish and defective law. I tried to convince Him of this, but he would not listen. He refused to take me into his confidence before he created this fiasco he has named earth. Planet earth has become a living inferno. It is an everlasting hell. He seems to be sorry for the mess He has caused and has asked me to carry out his justice, so I am doing the best I can down here with the help of my faithful assistants who had the good intelligence to listen to me and join with me in my efforts to convince God the Father that he was wrong. But instead of listening to me, He and His Son made war against me and drove me out of heaven. He seems to be sorry about that too now and always takes the blame for everything. Even the prophets of Jehovah, as they are called, have even written down in their scrolls that God the Father is to blame for all the bad things that are happening down here on planet earth. I have outlined my plan for freedom, but every time anyone down here starts doing what they want to do and having some fun, God claims they are breaking the law and brings some disease or calamity upon them to ‘teach them a lesson,’ as he calls it. I expect Him to soon destroy the whole planet to coverup his big mistake. When he does that it will only confirm what I have said all along. Inhabitants of the universe, listen to me. Listen to me while you still have a chance. What is happening here on planet earth could happen on any planet. You could be next. Join me in protesting against this horrible injustice God calls ‘THE LAW OF GOD.’ It will lead to disaster if you try to obey it. Listen to me and my plan will set the entire universe free of the curse of the law. This is your true and only friend in the universe speaking, Lucifer, Son of the morning. Please listen, for I may only have a short time yet to help you, for God the Father is threatening to kill me. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel have foretold it. (Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:6-10, 18. If I die the universe will have no one left to save it. Listen to me and live.”

Can you see how the unfallen worlds and many of the angelic host could be taken in by this subtle reasoning. But thank God only one-third of the angels followed Lucifer. None of the unfallen worlds listened to him. It was an angel of unbelievable power and intelligence that had rebelled against his Creator. The Bible tells us how well endowed Lucifer was.

“Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.” Ezekiel 28:12, 13.

Notice carefully: This is not a condemnation. It is a LAMENTATION … a weeping. God is weeping and He is saying to the universe, “weep for Lucifer, for he is destroying himself. Oh, how I love him. Oh, how I long to save him, but he will not listen to me. How can I save my beloved Lucifer from certain death?”

Please also notice that the Lord God says to the “king of Tyrus,” that he has been in the Garden of Eden. It is almost as if he were saying, “Lucifer, you have been in that beautiful Garden of Eden I created for Adam and Eve. Remember? You were there in it, Lucifer. I was hoping it might remind you of what heaven is like so you would come back home to me. Oh, Lucifer, please come back I miss you so!” Dear reader, can you imagine a Creator who could love like that? It is only as we look at Jesus that we can understand such love.

Then in Ezekiel 28:13 the Lord names all the various precious stones He “covered” his beloved Lucifer with. God is remembering how wonderfully and carefully He fashioned this highest of all angels. “Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:15. This scripture alone clearly proves that the Creator was not responsible for Lucifer’s defection or sin. God made a beautiful, sinless angel and that perfect angel turned himself into His enemy or Satan, which means adversary.

The rest of Ezekiel 28 tells how Lucifer fell because he became proud of his beauty and wisdom. Can you hear the emotion charged voice of God crying out to Lucifer all thru this chapter? Can’t you hear His voice breaking as he cries out to Lucifer, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so.” Verse 14. “Lucifer, I gave you the third highest position in the universe, right next to My beloved Son. And, Lucifer, that job is still waiting for you. I did not demote you. I didn’t kick you out. You left me. But, Lucifer, I want you back. I will forgive and forget. I am your Creator. Nothing is too hard or impossible with Me.” Jeremiah 32:27; Matthew 19:26.

But Lucifer refuses. He won’t come back. His heart is hardened against the Father. All throughout Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 and in other places in the Scripture God first pleads and then he warns, “and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub.” Verse 16.

We all have seen a little baby start crawling, away from its father or mother. And what does the parent do? A loving parent will call out, “Come back to daddy, baby, come back to daddy.” Usually a child will stop a moment and look to see if daddy is coming — if he really means business. Then most of the time the baby will just keep on crawling away. The parent will then stop pleading and warn it. “Come back to daddy, baby, come back. Baby get hurt. Baby going to cry.” And this is exactly what God is doing here. First he pleads and then he warns Lucifer of the painful consequences that will result if Lucifer does not repent and return. But the amazing aspect here is that God claims to be the one who is going to do this to Lucifer, when it is obvious that Lucifer is doing it to himself.

We can see that now, as we look back, nearly 2,000 years this side of the cross, but the universe of unfallen angels and unfallen worlds could not see it. That was what the contest over Job was all about in the book of Job. Is it possible to keep God’s law? Is it possible to be perfect? God claimed perfection for job but Satan denied these claims. The suffering of Job proved God’s claims were correct. Job’s faithfulness under mental and physical suffering, few have endured, vindicated God’s character. Each of us has that same opportunity for every human soul is an actor on the stage of this world’s history. We each are part of this great theatric production which has been running now for nearly 6,000 years. God is counting on each individual to play out his role faithfully, just as Job did. And just as surely as Job was faithful, so God can help us to be faithful until the end and thus demonstrate a facet of God’s beautiful character that no one else can portray. No two people are exactly alike. Each one of us has something very special to tell the universe about God’s character of love. If we let Him work in us and through us He will enable us to deliver the message. Only eternity will reveal the value of a soul’s worth and how important we each are to God’s plan.

“But, how can I do it?” you may be asking. Here is the answer in God’s holy Word. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:2,4.

The Father knew there was only one way to open the eyes of the universe to the enormity of sin and its terrible consequences or penalty. That was to let Himself, through his only Son, suffer the consequences of disobedience and rebellion. He could have allowed Lucifer and his evil angels, who rebelled with him, one third of the host of heaven, to reap the results of their evil choice. He could remove His shield of protection from Lucifer and let him suffer all the guilt and remorse he will one day suffer. If He had done this, Lucifer and his angels would have perished very quickly. But this would have raised more questions than it would have answered regarding Lucifer’s charges and allegations. So, there was only one way to reveal the truth. And so Jesus alone with His Father, in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleaded with the Father to let the cup pass from Him if the world could be saved any other way. But there was no other way. Jesus had to drink the cup. He had to demonstrate what will happen to each created being when the Father is forced out of the life.” IFH – THE UNFATHOMABLE DEPTHS OF THE FATHER’S LOVE.

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Is Jesus the son that is referred to in Proverbs 30:4? – jewsforjudaism.org

(Proverbs 30:4). Knowing the Answers to these Questions is to know the fundamentals of all knowledge. The Answer to the Question “What is his name?

Is Jesus the son that is referred to in Proverbs 30:4?

Answer: In an attempt to prove the divine origin of Jesus, Christian theologians have pointed to this proverb as a prooftext for their claim. However, an examination of what the text actually says will dispel any attempt at such a forced interpretation.

After informing us that he does not have all the wisdom and understanding that he should possess, Agur, the son of Jakeh, poses a series of rhetorical Questions, the Answers to which he realizes all men who seek knowledge should possess:

Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? (Proverbs 30:4)

The Answer to the Question “What is his name?” is given in the Scriptures, where we are informed that only God, the creator of heaven and earth, is in complete control of the forces of nature. Following this Question a second Question is asked: “What is his son’s name?” As the first Question is readily Answered through a reading of the Scriptures, the source of all true knowledge, so, too, the second Question is to be Answered by studying the same source. We thus obtain the Answer by studying such verses as Exodus 4:22: “Israel is My son, my firstborn”; Deuteronomy 14:1: “You are the children of the Lord your God”; and Hosea 2:1: “It will be said to them: ‘You are the children of the living God.’” Consequently, it is Israel that is the name of His son, His firstborn. True, we find elsewhere in the Bible that David and Solomon stand in a filial relationship with God (Psalms 89:27-28, 1 Chronicles 22:10, 28:6). Indeed, this will also be true of the future Messiah. But the right to this title is due, in the final analysis, to the fact that they are the representatives or personifications of Israel as a whole. Hence, it is Israel that is the sole bearer of the august title of the “son” or “firstborn” of God.

Christian theology may argue that any reference to Israel’s relationship with God only points to an allegedly greater relationship between God and Jesus, but this argument remains unproved, having no bases in the Jewish Scriptures. It is an argument based on misguided motives, trying to prove the preconceived by forced interpretation. Only in a figurative sense will the future Messiah, when the calms, enter into the “sonship” of God, a position he will share with all of God’s chosen servants.

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The Story of Redemption
Chapter 1
The Fall of Lucifer

LUCIFER in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone.

The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.

Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him. He thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?

He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied and filled with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes, he assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called them together to assure them that he no longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that never would he again bow down to Christ; that he would take the honor upon himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice.

There was contention among the angels. Lucifer and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They were discontented and unhappy because they could not look into His unsearchable wisdom and ascertain His purposes in exalting His Son, and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the Son.

Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned; and that He had given no commands but what it was joy for the heavenly host to execute. They urged that Christ’s receiving special honor from the Father, in the presence of the angels, did not detract from the honor that Lucifer had heretofore received. The angels wept. They anxiously sought to move him to renounce his wicked design and yield submission to their Creator; for all had heretofore been peace and harmony, and what could occasion this dissenting, rebellious voice?

Lucifer refused to listen. And then he turned from the loyal and true angels, denouncing them as slaves. These angels, true to God, stood in amazement as they saw that Lucifer was successful in his effort to incite rebellion. He promised them a new and better government than they then had, in which all would be freedom. Great numbers signified their purpose to accept him as their leader and chief commander. As he saw his advances were met with success, he flattered himself that he should yet have all the angels on his side, and that he would be equal with God Himself, and his voice of authority would be heard in commanding the entire host of heaven. Again the loyal angels warned him, and assured him what must be the consequences if he persisted; that He who could create the angels could by His power overturn all their authority and in some signal manner punish their audacity and terrible rebellion. To think that an angel should resist the law of God which was as sacred as Himself! They warned the rebellious to close their ears to Lucifer’s deceptive reasonings, and advised him and all who had been affected by him to go to God and confess their wrong for even admitting a thought of questioning His authority.

Many of Lucifer’s sympathizers were inclined to heed the counsel of the loyal angels and repent of their dissatisfaction and be again received to the confidence of the Father and His dear Son. The mighty revolter then declared that he was acquainted with God’s law, and if he should submit to servile obedience, his honor would be taken from him. No more would he be intrusted with his exalted mission. He told them that himself and they also had now gone too far to go back, and he would brave the consequences, for to bow in servile worship to the Son of God he never would; that God would not forgive, and now they must assert their liberty and gain by force the position and authority which was not willingly accorded to them. [THUS IT WAS THAT LUCIFER, “THE LIGHT-BEARER,” THE SHARER OF GOD’S GLORY, THE ATTENDANT OF HIS THRONE, BY TRANSGRESSION BECAME SATAN, “THE ADVERSARY.” –PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS, P. 40.]

The loyal angels hastened speedily to the Son of God and acquainted Him with what was taking place among the angels. They found the Father in conference with His beloved Son, to determine the means by which, for the best good of the loyal angels, the assumed authority of Satan could be forever put down. The great God could at once have hurled this archdeceiver from heaven; but this was not His purpose. He would give the rebellious an equal chance to measure strength and might with His own Son and His loyal angels. In this battle every angel would choose his own side and be manifested to all. It would not have been safe to suffer any who united with Satan in his rebellion to continue to occupy heaven. They had learned the lesson of genuine rebellion against the unchangeable law of God, and this is incurable. If God had exercised His power to punish this chief rebel, disaffected angels would not have been manifested; hence, God took another course, for He would manifest distinctly to all the heavenly host His justice and His judgment.

War in Heaven

It was the highest crime to rebel against the government of God. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels were marshaled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head. Satan was warring against the law of God, because ambitious to exalt himself and unwilling to submit to the authority of God’s Son, heaven’s great commander.

All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father, to have each case determined. Satan unblushingly made known his dissatisfaction that Christ should be preferred before Him. He stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes. God informed Satan, that to His Son alone He would reveal His secret purposes, and He required all the family in heaven, even Satan, to yield Him implicit, unquestioned obedience; but that he (Satan) had proved himself unworthy of a place in heaven. Then Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, and exclaimed, “These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?” He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength.

Good angels wept to hear the words of Satan and his exulting boasts. God declared that the rebellious should remain in heaven no longer. Their high and happy state had been held upon condition of obedience to the law which God had given to govern the high order of intelligences. But no provision had been made to save those who should venture to transgress His law. Satan grew bold in his rebellion, and expressed his contempt of the Creator’s law. This Satan could not bear. He claimed that angels needed no law but should be left free to follow their own will, which would ever guide them right; that law was a restriction of their liberty; and that to abolish law was one great object of his standing as he did. The condition of the angels, he thought, needed improvement. Not so the mind of God, who had made laws and exalted them equal to Himself. The happiness of the angelic host consisted in their perfect obedience to law. Each had his special work assigned him, and until Satan rebelled, there had been perfect order and harmonious action in heaven.

Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven. All the heavenly host acknowledged and adored the God of justice. Not a taint of rebellion was left in heaven. All was again peaceful and harmonious as before. Angels in heaven mourned the fate of those who had been their companions in happiness and bliss. Their loss was felt in heaven.

The Father consulted His Son in regard to at once carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth. He would place man upon probation to test his loyalty before he could be rendered eternally secure. If he endured the test wherewith God saw fit to prove him, he should eventually be equal with the angels. He was to have the favor of God, and he was to converse with angels, and they with him. He did not see fit to place them beyond the power of disobedience.

The Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.

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