|
Revelation 12:3-4, 9
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His
tail drew a third of the stars [notice stars] of heaven and threw them
to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to
give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. . . So the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan
[there he is identified], who deceives the whole world; he was
cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with
him.
It clearly states the dragon had been cast to Earth
Isaiah 14:12-15 "How
you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are
cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said
in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on
the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to
Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit."
Lucifer is called out by name, and it says how he
has fallen from the heavens (vs 15)
He began to separate from God a number of the
angels, undoubtedly using the reasoning that they should have more; that
God should treat them better; that God was being unfair; that they
didn't have the liberty, the freedom or the power that was due them,
because he said, "I will be like the Most High."
There are some commentators who say that what the
Hebrew says in reality is, "I will be God;" not just like God, but I
will be God. You can see what he wanted. He wanted to have complete
power, authority, and control. He did not want to be under another. He
did not want to be submissive. He did not want another being pulling his
strings or controlling him.
He wanted to sit, as it were, on the mount of the
congregation. So he said, "I will make war. I will ascend into heaven."
So they left their first estate. They left the realm of their authority
and they mounted up a war and attacked God, but were defeated and they
were cast down.
Ezekiel 28:12-13-17
"You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your
covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your
timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created."
"You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on
the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of
fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were
created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16 "By the abundance of your
trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And
I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your
wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground,
Here we are speaking of a being who was in the
garden of Eden (vs 13)
Was an anointed cherub who covers (vs 14)
He was on the holy mountain of God (vs 14)
Perfect in his ways from the day he was created (vs
15)
Luke 10:17-18 "Lord,
even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I
saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
When Jesus talks, we listen. If he says Satan fell
from heaven, and that he saw it personally…
1 Tim 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed
up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Like I said, it looks strong. But now we will
look at each scripture to see what it is really saying. After
that, make up your and if a huge deception has taken place.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Teach the truth, don’t ever
compromise that,
With all these scriptures, how can a person who
claims to teach the truth say it didn’t happen?
Because I don’t believe it ever happened. If I’m
wrong on my interpretation, the Bible has contradicted itself
Did you know nowhere in the entire bible is Satan
referred to as an “angel? Not past, present, or future
Only in 2 Cor 11:14, it
says he “masquerades himself to be an angel of light”
Not
that he is an angel, but pretends to be
Let’s look at each of these verses in order and see
if it is literally talking about Satan being cast from heaven
Let's begin by going to Revelation 12.
Revelation 12:3-4, 9
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His
tail drew a third of the stars [notice stars] of heaven and threw them
to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to
give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. . . So the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan
[there he is identified], who deceives the whole world; he was cast to
the earth, and his
angels were cast out with
him.
In verse 4, stars is used—a symbol of angels—and we
find that the angels were cast out with him and the devil and his angels
were cast to the earth. We have insight here of a major battle that took
place in heaven and that Satan and his angels lost it, and they were
cast out. To where? Vs 12
Revelation 12:12-13
"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to
you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." Now
when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he
persecuted the woman who gave
birth to the male Child.
Very clear Satan was thrown from heaven to the
earth, right? If Revelation can be interpreted literally, yes.
Let’s look at Revelation at some other things that
are spoken of and see if we can interpret everything literally: And I
will tell you how people say they have been fulfilled today
Rev 6
6:1 First Seal: The Conqueror
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the
seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice
like thunder, "Come and see." 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse.
He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went
out conquering and to conquer.
It was recorded in history, Richard the Lion
Hearted rode on a white horse when he went off to fight the crusades, to
crush the Muslim armies who were attacking countries and forcing their
religions on them. King Richard was successful, he conquered and
Christianity was restored.
3 Second Seal: Conflict on Earth
When He opened the second seal, I heard the
second living creature saying, "Come and see." 4 Another horse, fiery
red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace
from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was
given to him a great sword.
The fight between the peasants and the landowners
in Europe. Tremendous grief, hardship, starvation and murder. A time
when no one was safe at any time. Today’s terrorists pale to the
indiscriminate bloodshed at this time
5 Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth
When He opened the third seal, I heard the
third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a
black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A
quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius;
and do not harm the oil and the wine."
There was so much distrust between the land owners
and workers, no one planted or harvested, until the basic staples of
life became so expensive only the rich could afford them, but no one
would trade food for gold. The food tasted much better than useless
gold.
7 Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth
When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the
voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." 8 So I
looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was
Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a
fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by
the beasts of the earth.
Beasts of the earth. Isn’t talking about lions and
tigers, and bears, Oh my! No, the Greek leads most scholars to believe
were very small beasts, like rats. Millions died from the bubonic
plague, caused by the rats!
9 Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under
the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and
for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice,
saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our
blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given
to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little
while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
The martyrs of the first century church!
12 Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and
behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of
heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is
shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is
rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,
the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the
caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains
and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath
has come, and who is able to stand?"
Obviously a nuclear explosion. Only question, was
it in Japan, or is it a sign terrorists will get a bomb and set it off?
Then you have the 7 trumpets: 1/3 of men killed,
all vegetation killed, 1/3 of seas, 1/3 skies, 1/3 the sun all
destroyed.
Now you come to the 7th trumpet; the scene of the
woman, the child, and the dragon.
When the son was swept into heaven,
Satan had already sinned in the garden.
Could not possibly be
talking about this
Chapter 14, only 144,000 could learn the song of
the lamb because that was all that was sealed
Chapter 20 Satan bound for 1,000 years and then
the thousand year reign
Obviously, we cannot understand with assurance the
Book of revelation. So if I read something in the book of Revelation,
and my interpretation is in direct contradiction with a scripture I CAN
understand, I’ll go to that scripture every time!
OK, so Revelation is easy, let’s look at a tough
one. This is tougher, since Lucifer is called by name!
Isa 14:12-21
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son
of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the
nations! 13 For you have said in your heart:' I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the
Pit. 16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying:'
Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who
made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not
open the house of his prisoners?' 18 "All the kings of the nations, All
of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house; 19 But you are cast
out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those
who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of
the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with
them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your
people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named. 21 Prepare
slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers,
Lest they rise up and possess the land,And fill the face of the world
with cities."
In the original Hebrew text, Isa 14 is not about a
fallen angel, but about a fallen Babylonian king,
It contains no mention of
Satan, either by name or reference. Does mention “Lucifer.”
"Lucifer makes his appearance in the fourteenth
chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, at the twelfth verse, and
nowhere else: and only in the King James Version
Every other version interprets it as morning star
or day star. So we add the name Lucifer to the test, then we assume it
means Satan, so we say the name Lucifer is another name for Satan and
then say it must mean Satan because it mentioned him by name. How wierd
How did the translation "lucifer" arise?
"The first problem is that Lucifer is a
Latin name
This word comes from
Jerome's Latin Vulgate. (4th century interpretation of
Hebrew into Latin)
Was
Jerome in error? Not at all.
In
Latin at the time, "lucifer" actually meant Venus as a morning star.
In Roman astronomy,
Lucifer was the name given to the morning star
(the star we now know by
another Roman name, Venus).
The morning star appears
in the heavens just before dawn, heralding the rising sun.
The name derives from
the Latin term lucem ferre, "bringer, or bearer, of light."
How does the confusion in translating this verse
arise? The Hebrew of this passage reads: "heleyl, ben shachar" which can
be literally translated "shining one, son of dawn."
Isaiah is using this metaphor for a bright light,
though not the greatest light to illustrate the apparent
power
of the Babylonian king which then faded."
Therefore, Lucifer wasn't
equated with Satan until after the 4th century. Jerome wasn't
in error
Later
Christians (and Mormons) were in error, equating "Lucifer" with "Satan".
Theologians, writers, and poets interwove the myth
with the doctrine of the Fall, and in Christian tradition Lucifer is now
the same as Satan, the Devil, and - ironically- the Prince of Darkness."
"So "Lucifer" is nothing more than an ancient Latin
name for the morning star,
Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root
and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
If any “heavenly being” is the morning star, it is obviously Christ
himself. But he was not cast down by trying to exalt himself above God.
2 Peter 1:19
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,
which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until
the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
Does this really sound like the same description
for Satan?
We can easily identify Lucifer in Isaiah 14:4 as
the king of Babylon ('take up this proverb against him').
Lucifer (v. 12) fell from heaven. Heaven here
refers to a high or lofty place of authority in Babylon:
"which did weaken the
nations".
Are
there, or were there nations in the extraterrestrial heaven?
Isaiah 14:16-17 puts him in his place where it
says, "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and
consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble,
that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and
destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his
prisoners?"
Is this the man or the fallen angel?
Like so many other
megalomaniacs in history, this is man the sinner playing god.
Isaiah 14:12-17 describes
earthly conditions influenced by man's greed, force, selfishness,
ambition
and
pleasures.
If there were a war in
heaven before the Creation, you would think that there would be some
mention of it in the first book of the Bible.
There are several problems with an interpretation of this passage as a
reference to Satan:
1. The person referred to
in 14:12-15 is explicitly said to be the king of Babylon (14:3).
2. He is called a man
(14:16-17).
3. He is said to be dead
(14:9, 11, 19),
4. He is said to have
destroyed his land and his people (14:20).
5. No other reference to
this passage in the Old or New Testament indicates that Isaiah 14:12-15
should be interpreted as a reference to anyone other than the king of
Babylon,
a
man filled with great pride (cf. Daniel 4:28-32; 5:18-30).
Instead, all the evidence points to it being a
description of a human ruler. To interpret it any other way necessitates
taking the passage out of context.
Dan 4:28-30 28 All this happened to King
Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the
roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, "Is not this the great
Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for
the glory of my majesty?"
King Nebuchadnezzar was saying he did this by his
own almighty power, declaring himself to be God. Everything prophesied
in Isa 14 was fulfilled here.
Lucifer is not Satan and Satan is not Lucifer, and
this passage is not talking about Satan, but King Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon.
And unless a person has already made his mind up
what it is talking about, regardless of facts, it’s clear who it is!
Let’s go to
Ezekiel 28:12-17
"You were the seal of perfection, Full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The
workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day
you were created. 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I
established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back
and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16 "By
the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the
mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst
of the fiery stones. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your
beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast
you to the ground,
The other passage which is mentioned in relation to
how Satan became evil is Ezekiel 28:12-15.
Again, the problems faced by those who wish to
interpret this as a reference to Satan are insurmountable.
28:12 itself identifies the individual in view: the
king of Tyre.
If one looks back to earlier portions of the same
chapter, one finds that this king was guilty of the most incredible
pride, a pride not especially unusual in kings of this time and region.
Look at 28:1-10:
The word of Yahweh came to me: "Son of man,
say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Master Yahweh says: "'In the
pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god
in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you
think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel?Is no secret
hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth
for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your
great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of
your wealth your heart has grown proud. "'Therefore this is what Master
Yahweh says: "Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, am
going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce
your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will
die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, "I am a
god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not
a god, in the hands of those ho slay you. You will die the death of the
uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the
Master Yahweh.
These words about the king of Tyre could be
compared to those of Suppiluliumas, a Hittite king. At the beginning of
one of his decrees he wrote:
These are the words of the Sun,
Suppiluliumas, the great king, the king of the Hittites, the valiant,
the favorite of the Storm-god....
Just like the king of Tyre, it was common
for Near Eastern kings to picture themselves as gods incarnate. For
instance, the Pharaoh was always, even as late as the time of Alexander
the Great, pictured as the incarnation of the Sun god Re.
Alexander, because it made his Near Eastern
subjects happy (and padded his ego), declared himself to be a god.
In any case, the author of the lament that is then
raised for the king of Tyre in 28:12-16 does not have the fall of Satan
in mind at all.
This has not prevented some from taking the words
in verses 12-16 as being absolute proof that this has to be Satan,
forgetting the very context of these words.
Let's look at the objections raised against a
purely human setting for this passage.
In verse twelve we are
told that this king was "the model of perfection";
those
who wish to see Satan in this passage argue that this is an indication
of Satan's sinlessness before he rebelled against God, and since all
people are sinners, this statement can
hardly be applied to a human King
But in answer to this, since when does the word
"perfect" when applied to people indicate sinlessness?
Are not many Old and New
Testament persons called perfect? (Noah was perfect, not sinless)
No special significance
can be found in the current use of the term.
Verse 13: "You were
in Eden, the garden of God..." What does this mean?
Look back one chapter to
Ezekiel 27, where the trading empire of Tyre is described
In 27:23, Eden is
mentioned as one of the places Tyre traded with.
Notice that all the
precious objects with which the person of Ezekiel 28:13 is decked are
the items
Tyre
traded for in 27:1-24.
Please note also
Ezekiel 31:9 and 16-18, where, in a message to the king of Egypt,
Lebanon (where Tyre was located) was called Eden:
I made the nations tremble at the sound of
its fall when I brought it down to the grave with those who go down to
the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon,
all the trees that were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below
[vs. 16].
Eden, because it was the perfect place from
which humans had fallen, was taken into Israelite thought as the picture
of the ideal place; it became a figure for God's favor. Look at how it
is used in Ezekiel 36:33-36, which speaks of a restored Israel:
Another possible explanation would be that God set
him up in the prettiest place known to man at the time, as Tyre was, and
figuratively called it Eden, the Garden of God. Neither one would mean
he was in the actual garden of Eden at the beginning of time.
This is what the Master Yahweh says: "On the
day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and
the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead
of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will
say, 'This land that was laid waste has become the garden of Eden; the
cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now
fortified and inhabited.' Then the nations around you that remain will
know that I Yahweh have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted
what was desolate. I Yahweh have spoken, and I will do it."
In verse 15 Ezekiel talks about the king's ways
being blameless since "the day he was created."
Obviously, say those who see Satan here, this
refers to the creation of Satan.
But in Ezekiel 21:30 the same word "created" is
used of the Amorites - human beings, not the devil.
Isaiah uses it in Isaiah 43:1 and 7 in speaking of
the origin of Israel and in Psalm 102:18 it is clearly referring simply
to birth.
Though the word is used to describe the creation of
the universe (Gen. 1:1), we must be careful to recognize the full range
of its meanings.
So what about the "guardian cherub" of verses 14
and 16? Explain that! Okay. Please look at 1 Kings 6:23-30:
In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of
cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high [approximately 15 feet].
One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing
was five cubits - ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. The second
cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in
size and shape. The height of each cherub was ten cubits. He placed the
cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings
spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of
the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in
the middle of the room. He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
Also notice Genesis 3:24, the only place that
mentions cherubim in association with the Garden of Eden:
After he drove the man out, he placed on the
east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing
back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24 seems to strike the final blow against
an identification of the personage of Ezekiel 28 with Satan, because the
guardian cherubs were those who came after Satan had done his foul
deed.
The guardian cherub cannot be identified with the
devil.
Notice too, the characteristic of the cherub: they
guarded the way to the tree of life, or were decorations at the entrance
to the Most Holy Place in the temple, where the high priest made
atonement for the sins of the people.
Likewise, the king of Tyre was guardian for the
livelihood and wealth of countless nations, including Israel, and he
bore responsibility for his own people's welfare.
He ruled the port where an army could attack Israel
by sea. He protected Israel and was blessed for it. But when he became
too haughty, God had no further use for him.
Note the reaction to the downfall of the king of
Tyre:
The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for
your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea.
Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break
you to pieces in the heart of the sea. Your wealth, merchandise and
wares, your mariners, seamen and shipwrights, your merchants and all
your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of
the sea on the day of your shipwreck. The shorelands will quake when
your seamen cry out. All who handle the oars will abandon their ships;
the mariners and all the seamen will stand on the shore. They will raise
their voice and cry bitterly over you; they will sprinkle dust on their
heads and roll in ashes. They will shave their heads because of you and
will put on sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and
with bitter mourning. As they wail and mourn over you, they will take up
a lament concerning you: "Who was ever silenced like Tyre, surrounded by
the sea?" When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many
nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of
the earth. Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your company have gone down with you. All who live in
the coastlands are appalled at you; their kings shudder with horror and
their faces are distorted with fear. The merchants among the nations
hiss at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.
(Ezekiel 27:25-36)
Talk about merchants and wares, and nations hissing
at him, how could this be confused with Satan?
Let's go to Luke 10, where Jesus is speaking to the
seventy He had sent out. Now they returned with a great deal of
joy saying to Him:
Luke 10:17-18 "Lord,
even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I
saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
How could this be? If Christ really saw Satan fall
from heaven, then all discussion would be over. Is this what he said?
On the surface, it appears so, but Jesus often talked figuratively.
Once you look at the Greek, it becomes clear there is another plausible
explanation. But don’t trust me, look at each of my 3 commentaries says
on the subject:
Matthew Henry:
He confirmed what they said, as agreeing with his
own observation (v. 18): "My heart and eye went along with you; I took
notice of the success you had, and I saw Satan fall as lightning from
heaven." Note, Satan and his kingdom fell before the preaching of the
gospel. "I see how it is," saith Christ, "as you get ground the devil
loseth ground." He falls as lightning falls from heaven, so suddenly, so
irrecoverably, so visibly, that all may perceive it, and say, "See how
Satan's kingdom totters, see how it tumbles." They triumphed in casting
devils out of the bodies of people; but Christ sees and rejoices in the
fall of the devil from the interest he has in the souls of men, which is
called his power in high places, Eph 6:12. He foresees this to be but an
earnest of what should now be shortly done and was already begun-the
destroying of Satan's kingdom in the world by the extirpating of
idolatry and the turning of the nations to the faith of Christ. Satan
falls from heaven when he falls from the throne in men's hearts, Acts
26:18.
Barnes Notes:
"Satan" here denotes evidently the prince of the
devils who had been cast out by the seventy disciples, for the discourse
was respecting their power over evil spirits. "Lightning" is an image of
"rapidity" or "quickness." I saw Satan fall "quickly" or rapidly-as
quick as lightning. The phrase "from heaven" is to be referred to the
lightning, and does not mean that he saw "Satan" fall "from heaven," but
that he fell as quick as lightning from heaven or from the clouds. The
whole expression then may mean, "I saw at your command devils
immediately depart, as quick as the flash of lightning. I gave you this
power-I saw it put forth-and I give also now, in addition to this, the
power to tread on serpents," etc.
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
And he said, I behold [etheooroun (NT:2334)] Satan
as lightning fall from heaven. Since much of the force of this glorious
statement depends on the nice shade of sense indicated by the imperfect
tense in the original, it might have been well to bring it out in the
translation: 'I was beholding Satan as lightning falling from heaven:'-q.d.,
'I followed you on your mission, and watched its triumphs; while ye were
wondering at the subjection to you of devils in My name, a grander
spectacle was opening to My view; sudden as the darting of lightning
from heaven to earth Satan was beheld by Mine eye falling from heaven!'
By that law of association which connects a part with the whole, those
feeble triumphs of the Seventy seem to have not only brought vividly
before the Redeemer the whole ultimate result of His mission, but
compressed it into a moment and quickened it into the rapidity of
lightning! We have repeatedly observed that the word rendered "devils" [daimonia
(NT:1140)] is always used for those spiritual agents employed in
demoniacal possessions-never for the ordinary agency of Satan in
rational men. When, therefore, the Seventy say, "the demons are subject
to us," and Jesus replies, 'Mine eye was beholding Satan falling,' it is
plain that He meant to raise their minds not only from the particular to
the general, but from a very temporary form of satanic operation to the
entire kingdom of evil. They themselves were casting Satan for heaven!
See John 12:31, and compare Isa 14:17.
Jesus often talked figuratively, this is no
exception. But many refuse to accept this. He was only saying he was
with them on their journeys. He saw how they were successful and how
they were replacing Satan
All 3 commentaries agree Jesus was not talking
about Satan being literally thrown from heaven, but from his throne in
men’s hearts. He had lost his power, and it happened quickly, like a
bolt of lightning!
This is still the only one that is not perfectly
clear. So if I interpret it to mean he was NOT talking figuratively
here, would that interpretation contradict another scripture?
II Peter 2:4 For if
God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and
delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.
"Hell" here in the English versions comes from the
Greek 'tataroo' and it means "a place of restraint." God did not spare
the angels, but He cast them down to a place of restraint. We might call
it a prison.
It's interesting that in Greek mythology, Tartarus
was the lowest hell. It is described as being so far below Hades that it
was as far below Hades as heaven is high above the earth.
So, at least in Greek mythology, we can understand
that these angels were cast so far down—you might say they would be out
of sight.
They would be in a place of restraint from which
you would think they would never be able to crawl out. Again in
mythology, Tartarus was the place where the Titans (who rebelled against
Zeus) were restrained.
There is some disagreement among the scholars as to
whether Peter used the word that is translated here "chains" or "silo."
Almost every one of us understands what a silo is. It is a long,
cylindrical object in which grain is stored. To the Greek, a silo was an
underground pit—something dug in to the ground in which grain (after the
harvest season) was stored. Whether it's a chain or it's a silo it
doesn't matter. God is trying to get across to us that the demons have
been restrained.
The idea is that they are being restrained because
they are facing judgment.
All about Jude
Let's go to the
book of Jude. Parts of the
book of Jude parallel II Peter very closely.
Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their
proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
We find that the angels did not keep their proper
domain, and they became a prisoner in a place of constant restraint.
So if Satan was not an angel gone bad, where did he
come from?
Since God is not the author of evil, then Satan, as
a created being, could not have begun wicked. What happened to him?
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer
from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in
him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and
the father of lies
Word “beginning” is Greek archees means at the
VERY beginning, 1st in power, in order, in rule. Only used for one
other being, that is God. Therefore, just as God was at the beginning,
so was Satan if you accept this passage. God was from the Beginning
good, Satan was from the beginning evil according to this passage.
In the final analysis, it must be concluded that
the Bible does not reveal where Satan originated. It is enough that we
are told he exists, and that he must be resisted (James 4:7, 1 Peter
5:8-9)
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be
saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
How many who believed and were baptized were
saved? Every one of them
Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their
positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in
darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
How many angels who left their positions of
authority are bound with ever lasting chains?
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when
they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to
be held for judgment;
How many angels who sinned were cast into hell? If
Satan was a fallen angel, what would his fate be?
If anything but the above, the Bible is
wrong somewhere.
Jesus said in Mt. 28:18 "all power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth". How much power does that give Satan?
|
