In the Beginning:

An Angel Falls; A World Begins:

1. An Angel Falls
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Everything was beautiful and peaceful in the center of God's Universe. Everyone loved God and was happy to obey Him in whatever He asked of them. Everyone helped one another. No one ever quarreled and no one was selfish, for this was heaven, long before our world was made.

The reason everyone was so happy was because God is love. He was the ruler, and everyone obeyed Him. The Bible tells us; “God is love.” 1 John 4:16. His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it always will be.

Everything God does is right, kind and loving. When everyone accepts Him as Ruler then all can be happy. They choose to obey Him because He is so good and they love Him so much. God never forces anyone to obey Him. He gives freedom of will to all, so that they may choose to serve Him.

So long as all created beings loved God and gladly obeyed Him, because they unselfishly loved Him, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. Love for one another was deep and unselfish. There was nothing to mar the happiness of heaven. But something happened which changed everything.

It all began with a beautiful, powerful angel in Heaven. His name was Lucifer, which means, “Son of the Morning.” Ezekiel 28:12-19, tells us about his place in Heaven, his beauty and power. Lucifer was wise too, for God said, “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom.” He was very beautiful, for the text says he was “perfect in beauty.” He has been in the Eden home of Adam and Eve. “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.”

He was a great musician, and led the music and singing of the hosts of angels in their morning and evening songs of praise to God.

He was “created” by the power of God. All the angels were created full grown, and not born as children. Lucifer’s position was by the throne of God, with his wings outstretched above it. All the brightness and glory of God streamed over him and made him appear bright and beautiful. This was Lucifer’s place as covering cherub, close to the throne of God in Heaven.

All his wisdom, beauty, power, and special place were given him by God who had created him. The Creator made him for the special work He wished him to do. Lucifer owed everything to his Lord. But, like some people who have riches and power, he became proud of his glory. He forgot that it was all the gift of God. The text says, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty.” Ezekiel 28:17.

The Son of God was above him, and equal with His Father because He was not a created being, He was part of the Godhead. Lucifer started to think about his beauty and power and decided that he ought to be equal with God. The prophet Isaiah says about him, “Thou hast said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13, 14.

But God could not permit this. The very thought of it by Lucifer was sin, for it was pride and selfishness. The Bible tells us that sin is not obeying God’s perfect Law—not obeying God.

Lucifer became a rebel and told lies and false stories to the other angels. It was Lucifer’s plan to fool the angels with lies about the goodness and plans of God. Some of the angels believed him because no one in heaven had ever lied before and so some chose to be on his side against God and His Law.

Many angels did not believe his lies and tried to get him to come back to God. Those angels that Lucifer could not get to follow him, he lied about. He said that they were selfish and just didn’t care about the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing, he blamed on those who remained true to God.

He was saying that he could run things better than God and his way would give the angels more freedom. But as soon as he got some of the angels on his side he put them to work for him and made slaves of them.

God and His Son and even the loyal angels tried to get Lucifer to stop what he was doing but he would not listen. Lucifer and his angels had become God’s enemies, rebels against His government. They could not be allowed to remain in heaven, and finally the Bible tells us that there was war in heaven! “Michael (God’s Son) and His angels fought against the dragon (Satan); and the dragon fought and his angels.” Revelation 12:7.

When Lucifer sinned and fell, his character and work were so changed that the beautiful name he had in Heaven was also changed. In Revelation 12:9, he is called “the dragon,” “that old serpent,” “the devil,” and “Satan.”

Of course Satan could not win a battle against his own Creator. “He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9. In Isaiah 14:12, we read, “How art thou fallen from Heaven, 0 Lucifer, Son of the Morning! How art thou cut down to the ground.” Jesus said to His disciples, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven.” Luke 10:18.

When Satan knew that he had lost Heaven forever, his heart was filled with anger and hatred for all that was good. From that day on he has kept trying to fool others and get everybody on his side, to hate and disobey God, and everybody who does, becomes Satan’s slave.

And so it was that "Lucifer, the “light bearer” became Satan “the Adversary” or enemy.

When Satan saw that God had made something very special in this earth and when he saw that God had shared some of His creative power with Adam and Eve he became even more angry and jealous. He knew that God had done this to have someone special to take the place that Lucifer and his angels had in heaven before they rebelled and had to be thrown out. This made him hate Adam and Eve even more and he was determined to trick them into being on his side in rebellion against God.

Next: A World Begins

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