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SUBJECT: CHAPTER I: SATANâ€OS CREATION AND CAREER
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CHAPTER ONE
SATAN’S CREATION AND CAREER
His Creation
Satan is a created being and as such he is not all-powerful and all-knowing like God is. God, the Creator, is the only completely independent and autonomous Being. He needs no one and nothing. Everything that is, including Satan, derives its life from Him. As a result, no creature can ever truly live independently from its Creator or it would cease to exist (a notion foreign to the wisdom of God; He never uncreates; He never annihilates). The greatest insanity of any creature is the attempt to live independently of the Creator. Yet, this is the delusion of Satan and is the great lie that he introduced to our first parents and continues to promote today.
Created By Jesus Christ
Col_1:16-17 teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all that has ever existed and will ever exist. Satan (who was originally created Lucifer, son of the morning) is His creation. The question that appears at this point is why God created a creature that He knew would introduce sin into the universe and be the instigator of the fall of mankind.
Sin Allowed to Exist
The answer is seen in the manifold wisdom of God. “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” (Psa_104:24) “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” (Eph_3:10) Mere creatures cannot hope to fully comprehend this “manifold wisdom.” However, it is suggested that God has determined that all propositions made by the creature in opposition to the Divine will are put to an experimental test. This God did with Satan’s suggestion that Job served God only for payment (Job_1:9-11). God evidently did the same in the case of Lucifer’s rebellion too. The all-wise, all-knowing God allows even men the same opportunity to challenge His authority. Does He not allow us to go our own way and do our own thing until we realize the result?
Satan’s Original State
The central passage detailing the original estate and condition of this Fallen Angel is found in Eze_28:11-19. The statement is directed to “the king of Tyrus.” However, it is obvious that no earthly king could fit the description that we find here of the origin of Satan. (It should be noted also that many of the Messianic passages are spoken to or about some particular person, but could not possibly be fulfilled by anyone but the Messiah. See, for example, Psa_16:9-11 where David speaks of things that were fulfilled in Christ. This was explained by the apostle Peter in Act_2:25-31.) The passage is as follows:
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 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; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Perfect
Here we see Lucifer in his original created state is described as “sealing up the sum.” He was the highest created being of all the angelic creation. We are told that he was perfect (v. 12) in both wisdom and beauty. The jewels that made up his covering either symbolize or demonstrate his great importance (v. 13a). It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for serpent in the garden of Eden (Gen_3:1) is nahash and means “the shining one.”
Musical
We find also that this highest of all the angels was created a musical being (v. 13b). Some have suggested that he led the angelic hosts in their music of praise, worship and adoration of the Most High. The fact that Satan still is a musical being, accounts for the great use that Satan has made of music to blind, hold captive and destroy not only people in heathen lands among the savages and the masses in so-called civilized nations, but also the people that name the Name of Christ in our churches. It is not surprising that Satan uses music as a major source of division and conflict among the people of God. What is sad is that so many churches are being destroyed by it. It seems that Satan does have the advantage in many churches because God’s people are ignorant of his devices.
Highest of the Angelic Creation
Lucifer was made to be the “anointed cherub that covers” the Throne of God as the highest officer in the court of Heaven who guarded or protected the Holiness of God (v. 14, 16b). To some extent, he is still (in his warped and twisted way) attempting to vindicate the holiness of God by accusing the brethren (Rev_12:10) when they sin. It seems that he cannot understand the grace of God in the cross of Jesus Christ, so he feels he must bring every sin to the attention of the Almighty.
His Career
Pride
We may not be able to fully understand why God would allow such a being as Satan to exist, but we can grasp the reasons for his fall. Eze_28:15 b tells us that “iniquity was found in” him. This iniquity was that his heart was lifted up because of his beauty. Isa_14:12-14 reveals what he said in his heart: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Satan desires a throne in Heaven like God. This entails both independence and worship, position and power. More will be said about this in the next chapter.
The Lie
This pride of heart in Lucifer corrupted his wisdom. It is this satanic insanity-the thought that he can live and be happy apart from God-that misguides and deludes Satan and every being who would follow him. This is the lie, the delusion that Satan has sought to perpetuate by any and all means throughout his followers in both the angelic and earthly realms.
Current Abode
As a result of his sin, Lucifer, son of the morning, fell (or was cast) from Heaven to the sphere of the earth and air (Isa_14:12-20; Eze_28:17 b; Luk_10:18; Eph_2:2; Eph_6:12; 1Pe_5:8). He, however, still has access to the Throne of God as seen in Job_1:6 and Rev_12:10.
Satan’s Throne
From his earthly throne (see “my throne” Isa_14:13) Satan administers his kingdom. His plan is to delude the multitudes by imitation of God and destroy them by encouraging them in opposition to God. Satan hates God; he hates anything connected to God. He is now roaming the earth seeking those that he may delude and destroy. But why does Satan spend all his time in this way? The next chapter will attempt to answer this question by examining Satan’s motivation and method.