The First Sinner

[RickD]

Hi Everyone, I've been reading through some topics, and have become interested in different beliefs or interpretations on the affect of the first sinner. I would like to hear your reasoning on how Lucifer's fall is connected ultimately to God's plan of redemption for mankind. I don't hear much about this subject(maybe because the Bible doesn't say much regarding It). I guess what I'm seeing is a major disagreement within the YEC/OEC debates in regard to the affect of Adam's first sin. I think most of us agree Adam's sin has at least some affect on the creation outside of mankind. Mainstream YECs believe all death is caused by Adam's "original" sin. And some YECs believe that the 2nd law of thermodynamics came into being after Adam's sin. Where as mainstream OECs believe punishment for Adam's sin was only to man, with the rest of creation not being punished for something it didn't do. I guess what I'm asking is since Lucifer's fall happened before he tempted Eve, how does that fall into God's plan for mankind's redemption? Thanks

[RickD]

I was watching the debate on you tube entitled, "Old Earth vs Young Earth". In 4 Part 3 of 3, Ham, Ross, and Dr. Walter Keiser were talking about animal death before the fall, and if it affects the doctrine of atonement. Each speaker gave a closing remark. Dr. Walter Keiser said, "Adam's sin didn't make the Devil, or the serpent. Adam's sin didn't indeed affect the angelic fall. They fell on their own. We know of at least two falls. The fall of Adam and Eve, and the fall of the angels. There are two, and they must be accounted for." I guess what I'm asking is if Satan's fall affected creation before humans in regards to animal death.

[Dazed and Confused]

Dr. Walter Keiser said, "Adam's sin didn't make the Devil, or the serpent. Adam's sin didn't indeed affect the angelic fall. They fell on their own. We know of at least two falls. The fall of Adam and Eve, and the fall of the angels. There are two, and they must be accounted for." I guess what I'm asking is if Satan's fall affected creation before humans in regards to animal death.

This line of reasoning does seem to imply that death first came through Satan. God created the lake of fire, which was first prepared for the devil and his angels and seems to imply death. And we know that the lake of fire is the second death for those born through the seed of Adam who have not received Jesus Christ. So did Satan fall before or after the creation and had he already taken a third of the angles with him before he tempted Adam and Eve. I guess that would be the first question.

[RickD]

Dr. Walter Keiser said, "Adam's sin didn't make the Devil, or the serpent. Adam's sin didn't indeed affect the angelic fall. They fell on their own. We know of at least two falls. The fall of Adam and Eve, and the fall of the angels. There are two, and they must be accounted for." I guess what I'm asking is if Satan's fall affected creation before humans in regards to animal death.

This line of reasoning does seem to imply that death first came through Satan. God created the lake of fire, which was first prepared for the devil and his angels and seems to imply death. And we know that the lake of fire is the second death for those born through the seed of Adam who have not received Jesus Christ. So did Satan fall before or after the creation and had he already taken a third of the angles with him before he tempted Adam and Eve. I guess that would be the first question.

This quote is something that I would like people who lean towards a YEC position to think about. I'm interested to hear some YEC opinions. Jac, you are probably one of the most vocal supporters of YEC on this site. I'd like to hear what you think, if you don't mind. Thanks Rick

[RickD]

God, Genesis and the big bang
Entropy, the Fall, and Adam


God, Genesis and the big bang

Young Earth - Old Earth, what does it matter?

Science and the Bible can be harmonized

The Bible and Science in Conflict

Understanding Genesis Chapter 1

Scriptural Evidence for Long Days

The Origin of the Universe

The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 1

The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 2

The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 3

The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 4

Entropy, the Fall, and Adam

The Tree Of Life

What I learned at an Answers in Genesis Conference

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Science finds a purpose for the appendix

Flat Earth - A lesson to all of us

Why are young people leaving the church?

Why Does God Hate Me?

Links to the World and Beyond




Who's responsible and who's going to clean up this mess?


This is a work in progress. I have never heard this idea presented by anyone else. If others hold similar views I would like to hear about it. What started me thinking on the subject is the young-earth creationist argument concerning the extent of the fall. I do understand their argument and why they believe it to be true, however one has to truly stretch the physical evidence beyond the breaking point to fit their view.

Back To The Garden

Let's begin by quickly examining the young-earth tradition, which says that when Adam fell, the creation became cursed. This curse brought death and destruction upon the entire universe. Before the fall, the universe was a perfect utopia where nothing suffered or died and there was no decay or entropy. None of these things could have existed before the fall, or God could not call His creation 'very good'.

That is the tradition now what does the Bible say was the penalty for mankind's first disobedience?

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen 2:17 KJV)

So the cost will be the life of the one eating from the tree. Where is the curse on the universe? Maybe it comes later? Let's look at the words spoken after the offense:

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Gen 3:14-15 KJV)

The serpent is cursed and his future foretold but the universe is not mentioned. Some claim when it says “thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field” that this means the entire animal kingdom is cursed. Certainly the animals are going to be affected by sinful man's presence on the planet, so I will concede an indirect curse on all life on earth. This does not, however, mean animal death began with Adam. It also cannot be used to justify a curse on the stars in Pleiades. There is no scripture support for this position and much physical evidence against it.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (Gen 3:16 KJV)

Eve will suffer greater pain in childbirth than she would have experienced had they obeyed which means suffering was already in the world, but no, nothing is mentioned here about the universe being punished.

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen 3:17-19 KJV)

This is pretty much as close as it gets, “ cursed is the ground for thy sake”. Does it say decay begins here? No. Does it say death in the universe begins here? No. What it does say is Adam will have to work the ground hard just to feed himself. He also finds himself spiritually separated from God and will shortly be denied access to the tree of life. He will die or as the Hebrew more accurately says dying you will die. I go into more detail examining the Scripture surrounding this tradition here- death before Adam? Use your back button to return.

There is one section of scripture that will be dealt with later that is often cited as pointing out the universe is cursed. Romans 8:19-22 does state that the creation was subjected to frustration. I agree. Surprise! However, the earth is still old and Adam is not responsible for the frustrated universe. Keep reading.

It is a sad state of affairs for Adam, Eve, and their descendents. Death does enter the human race as a result of the fall. The however is that the universe has not been mentioned in the curse. Yet God provided the opportunity that if Adam had remained obedient he could eat of the tree of life and live forever. How can this be if the sun over his head will eventually exhaust its fuel and burn itself out?

This is why we have the traditional view that 'very good' means perfect with no decay and it includes the entire universe. The traditional view reads far more into Scripture than it actually says while choosing to ignore the vast amount of physical evidence of an ancient decaying universe. Still, it brings up an interesting dilemma; if tradition is wrong how do we reconcile that Adam could have lived forever in an already frustrated universe and just how did the creation become frustrated if Adam isn't responsible.

At first glance it is tempting to think eating of the tree of life is symbolic of eternal life of the spirit in heaven and not actual physical life. Maybe Adam was never going to physically live forever. To the ancient Hebrew mind this idea would not be acceptable. They viewed the body/soul as inseparable. If one part dies both die. Yet this directly conflicts with God's word:

“For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17 KJV)

How does it conflict? Adam lived to be 930 years old. Hundreds of years passed after he was banished from Eden. So, either 'in the day' does not mean 24 hours or the death promised was spiritual and not physical.

The Hebrew understanding isn't totally inaccurate. The body/soul does die together. What is missing is they did not possess a clear revelation of an eternal spirit. The spirit returns to the Father upon physical death. The body/soul of the believer must wait for the resurrection at the end times when it will be raised imperishable. So, “dying you will die” makes more sense in this light. Dying in a decaying physical body your spirit will die once you eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and there is not a thing in your strength you can do about it.

When we die physically our spirit will spend eternity either in the presence of the Lord — eternal life, or in eternity separated from God — the second death. Today we gain eternal life by faith in Jesus' finished work on the cross. In Adam's case he walked with God in the Garden. Eternal life was within his grasp. Obedience (works) was its price. Once he defied God separation came upon mankind. Adam died a spiritual death. He was still aware of God, but the close union, like a spiritual marriage covenant, had been broken.

God told Adam in advance what the penalty was for disobedience. He could not just say, “That's ok I forgive you”. Sin has consequences. Sin has a cost. The wages of sin is death. The tree of life was not going to remove the first couple's sin but the tree of life would have allowed a spiritually dead Adam to physically live forever.

Adam and Eve were embarrassed and ashamed after their sin but it got even worse. One can only imagine how mournfully repentant they must have been (or should have been) as they buried their son Abel because they knew his death was the direct result of sin which they had brought to mankind. In this sense, banishment from the tree of life was showing Adam mercy, as he would not have to spend eternity observing the consequences of his actions.

Ok, back to our study, if eternal physical life was a real possibility, we have to ask again, how is it Adam could have been created in a decaying universe? The honest answer is we may never know since Adam did die. That does not stop us from examining various ideas to see if we can come up with a Biblically based solution to the dilemma.

Consider this view whereby an obedient Adam would never experience physical death and at the same time live in a universe that will pass away. In similar fashion as the book of Hebrews speaks of Enoch, at some point in time, might not Adam simply be taken up into heaven and out of this decaying universe?

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (Heb 11:5 NIV)

Also consider the taking of Elijah before Elisha's eyes:

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Ki 2:11 NIV)

We the Church, await the day when will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord at His return.Those who are alive at the time will apparently never taste death. So it is Biblically possible that Adam did not have to die yet the universe will end. It is also possible that as we wait for a new heaven and a new earth to be revealed, so God could one day have transformed the dying universe with Adam still alive and kicking. It is not necessary to believe that Adam cursed the universe. It is not Biblical or reasonable to believe the physics of the universe changed after Adam took one bite of fruit.




The Way Of The Cross

The young earth view of the fall is based more on tradition than it is in solid Biblical interpretation. Where does this leave us? If the fall of the first couple cannot adequately explain death and decay in the universe then what can? The following are my thoughts on an alternative scenario that I think better fits the evidence without violating Scripture. I would appreciate feedback on any thoughts you have and especially Scripture support for or against this view.

Even those who are only casually familiar with Christianity know that Jesus died on the cross and that according to the Bible he was raised back to life. What is not as commonly understood is when the decision was actually made to go to the cross.

Genesis 3:15 is considered to be the first Messianic prophecy in scripture. God, speaking to the serpent (revealed later as Satan in Revelations) about the serpent's part in the fall says:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15 NIV)

Although this is admittedly cryptic it tells of mankind eventually overcoming the serpent through the work of an offspring of Eve. Adam would have understood this as his only opportunity to restore his relationship with God. Through the vision of 20/20 hindsight, we know this is a reference to Jesus.

Does this then mean the plan for the cross was determined in the garden after the fall? It might surprise you but the plan was already in effect at the time of mankind's first sin. In fact the plan was in place before there was a mankind or even an earth for that matter.

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. (1 Peter 1:20 NIV)

But couldn't this just be some fuzzy yet to be worked out idea? After all it only says he was chosen. It does not tell chosen for what. That might be true if we did not have more Scripture on the subject. Consider the following:

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. (Rev 13:8 NIV)

You see the Lamb was chosen, before the earth was created, to be a sacrifice. To further clarify this idea consider:

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Tim 1:9 KJV)

This verse helps to identify Jesus as the one chosen before the world began but the English translation still leaves the possibility that all this was decided after space was created but before the earth was formed. We need to look closer. Notice the last part of this verse — “ before the world began”. In the earlier verses it was stated “ from the creation of the world “, or “ before the creation of the world “ In these verses 'world' is kosmos in the Greek from which we get cosmos (an orderly systematic universe). In 2 Tim1:9 'world' is the Greek aionios which implies perpetual or everlasting.

What is interesting here, is that these verses say that before the everlasting began, Jesus' purpose was set. The everlasting is our entire universe! The universe had a beginning. Matter, energy, space and time are all part of God's creation of our universe. The kosmos was created “in the beginning ” so the decision came before time began. This is exactly the way the NIV translators understand this verse:

Who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, (2 Tim 1:9 NIV)

No matter what translation of the Bible you use (KJV — NIV) or how you view creation (young-earth or old-earth) we should be able to agree on this point; it was determined before our created universe began that Jesus would die for our sin. From our perspective and based on our need, that is more than we could ever hope for and much more than we deserve.

Our problem is we are pretty self-centered. We think the world (kosmos) revolves around us. News flash - it doesn't. Realizing this makes it a little easier for us to accept that saving us is not all that Jesus has or is going to accomplish through the cross:

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Eph 1:9-10 NIV)

Heaven is the Greek ouranos, which can mean the sky or space, but that is not the intended translation for this verse. The same word is used in Mat 3:2 when John the Baptist says, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near". Heaven here means the abode of God, as it does in the Ephesians verse above.

What's the point? Jesus will ultimately bring heaven and earth together and rule over both. Because of man's sinfulness we can understand the need for His rule over us but why is there a need to put all things in heaven under His rule? Let's examine this and see what we can learn.




The Heavenly Realm

God, who is eternal, for whatever reasons that pleased Him, at some point in His story, chose to create the heavenly realm, but when? Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning God created the heaven …” The Hebrew word for heaven is shamayim . It is plural and can be translated heavens where indicated by context. Its meaning can include the sky, space, and what Paul termed the third heaven. The sky and space are part of our universe and are included in the creation in Genesis 1:1. Tradition maintains that the heaven of heavens, or third heaven, was also created at this time. Heaven must be a created place or it would also be eternal and only God is from everlasting to everlasting, but I believe there is evidence the third heaven existed before our universe — before “in the beginning ”.

We know from Scripture that heaven and the angels were created before the earth was formed:

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand… while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7 NIV)

The KJV calls the angels 'sons of God' but the meaning is the same. If the angels had just been created moments before, it seems peculiar that they would be marveling over our creation. Considering, as has been previously discussed, that it was determined Jesus would be the sacrificial lamb before time began it makes more sense that heaven and the angels existed prior to “in the beginning ”. Admittedly this is circumstantial. We need additional Scripture to back up this proposal.

I am going to quote from the article “When Did The Fall Of Satan Take Place?” that I found at http://www.gforceministry.com to make the Scripture connection. I don't usually quote other sources but they do such a fine job why reinvent the wheel? — Some minor formatting changes have been made. (Used by permission. I have no connection with gforceministry.com or them with me):


It is helpful to compare Exodus 20:11 with another verse on creation found in Nehemiah 9:6. The Nehemiah passage definitely refers to the creation of angels. Notice the expressions that are used:

"For in six days the LORD made heaven (or heavens) and earth, the sea, and all that in them is " (Exodus 20:11).

"Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven (or heavens), the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven angels worshippeth thee." (Neh. 9:6)

Notice the additional phrase used in the Nehemiah passage, "the heaven of heavens." This is the Hebrew way of making a superlative. "A superlative sense is expressed by joining a noun with its own plural in the genitive" (Hebrew Syntax by Davidson). We even use this in English. We might say, "The Bible is the Book of Books!" By this we mean that the Bible is the greatest Book of all. Here are some biblical examples: "Slave of slaves" means the lowest slave (Gen. 9:25). "Holy of holies" means most holy (Exodus 26:33). "Song of songs" means the most excellent song. "King of kings" means the greatest of all kings (Ezekiel 26:7 and see 1 Tim. 6:15: Rev. 17:14; 19:16). For other examples see Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, (Section 133i).

Thus, "the heaven of heavens" means "the greatest of the heavens" or "the highest of all heavens" (see Brown, Driver and Briggs' Hebrew Lexicon). The highest of all heavens can only refer to the third heaven, which is the abode of God and angels.

The expression "heaven of heavens" is found in the following passages: Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6; 6:18; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 68:33 and Psalm 148:4. In each of these passages the phrase clearly refers to the third heaven, "the highest of all heavens." Notice also that Psalm 148:1-4 is another passage (like Nehemiah 9:6), which mentions the angels (v.2) and in the same context mentions the highest of all heavens (v.4).

Exodus 20:11 does not mention the heaven of heavens and Genesis chapter 1 does not mention the heaven of heavens either. Neither of these passages mention angels. Could it be that Exodus 20:11 and Genesis 1 have reference only to the first and second heavens and not to the third heaven? And if so, does this indicate that the third heaven with all its host had already been created prior to the six days of creation?


In the footnotes is the following:


There are 5 passages which make a distinction between the first and second heaven and the heaven of heavens: Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6; 6:18; Nehemiah 9:6. This may imply that the "heaven" of Genesis 1:1 may not include the heaven of heavens (the third heaven). Also Psalm 68:33 refers to the heavens of heavens “which were of old.” The inherent implication is that the third heaven is in some sense ancient or old making it distinctly different from and unique to the first and second heaven. Why would the psalmist make such a distinction if the first, second and third heavens were all created at the same time during the six days of the creation week? But if the creation of the third heaven pre-dated the creation the first and second heaven, it would be appropriate to speak of the third heaven as being "of old" or ancient.


While not a definitive proof, it is highly probable and definitely logical to conclude that heaven and the angels existed before our universe was created.

God did not need heaven for a dwelling place. He created it for the angels. Yet He chooses to dwell with the angelic host in heaven as He chose to dwell with the Hebrews in the tabernacle. When I say angel I am using it in a very generic sense. There appear to be many different types of beings in Heaven. For the sake of this article I am lumping them all under the same heading of angel. One interesting thing I learned while researching this article is that not even heaven can contain all of God's glory:

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? (1 Ki 8:27 KJV)

Similar statements are made in several verses to confirm the idea. How much of His glory is contained in heaven is not revealed to us but we do know the angels have a far superior view of God than all but a handful of select prophets on earth have ever had opportunity to experience.

At this point if your first thought is, “then where did God live before He created heaven?” Then all I can say is welcome to my world of thinking too much. We should start a club!




Angels We Have Heard On High

The Bible never clearly says why God created angels. Since man is created a little lower than the angels it seems proper to suspect God created the angels, as He did man, in order that He might have a relationship with them. We know the angels serve in various capacities. Some continually worship God on the throne. Some have been messengers. Some are ministering spirits sent to help mankind. Some are soldiers fighting God's battles.

These soldiers are battling evil. Evil, whose origin is not specifically revealed but that appears to have begun with the angels. Like man, the angels were created with free will. This made it possible for a third of the angels to choose to follow Satan in his rebellion.

An age-old question is when did Satan fall? It is my view that before there was a fall in the garden, there was a fall in Heaven. Most Christian groups agree Satan fell before Adam but there is some disagreement on the timing.

The young-earth view generally is that the angels were created on day 1. Satan's fall happened after day 6 because the day was pronounced 'very good' but before he tempted Eve. We do not know how long she was alive before this happened. It could have been years but most believe it happened rather quickly.

The problem I have with this view is that God called his creation very good which to the young-earth group means perfect and yet the whole thing comes crashing down in such a short time. The young-earth folks are quick to jump on the relativity bandwagon and point out that since the angels exist in a different space/time continuum than man it is highly possible that a great amount of time passed in the heavenly realm before Satan rebelled while only a short time had passed on earth. That is truly clever and the most brilliant idea I have ever heard from their camp. I am being serious. I applaud this view. It might even be correct except for the whole the earth isn't 6,000 years old thing. Maybe they should consider since God is in a different space/time continuum than man that while six days may have occurred in God time, billions of years occurred in man time.

That last point is called time dilation. Time passes differently depending on one's location in the universe. Jewish physicist Gerald Schroeder PhD brilliantly discusses this concept in his book “The Science of God”. In his view, 6 days and billions of years are both correct for the length of the creation time frame. Mind-boggling isn't it.

Those who hold to the gap theory of creation believe there is a large amount of time (a gap) between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. During this time Satan who was on earth tried to claim God's throne. Thus he fell and so God destroyed the first earth. Genesis 1:2 begins the telling of God's re-creation of earth.

There are a couple reasons why adherents of the gap theory believe this way. One is they realize there is good evidence of an ancient universe and earth including fossils of creatures who lived long before man appears in the garden. Second they feel a need to justify God calling the creation 'very good' without including all the death and destruction of an old earth. The gap theory also eliminates evolution as a possibility to explain the variation of life on the re-created earth while leaving room that evolution might explain the fossil record.

The gap theory is, to me, intellectually superior to the young-earth view. Yet it has problems as well. A flood is said to have accomplished the destruction of the first earth after Satan's fall. Yet there is no break in the fossil record to substantiate it. When I asked about this point I was told that God re-created the same species (even man) on the second earth as were already in existence in the first. I remain highly skeptical of this theory.

I honestly have never read a single old-earth discussion of Satan's fall. So I do not know what the standard model is for this event. Since, as far as I know, old-earth creationists lack such a theory, I am proposing my own! I have the basic idea, but not the specifics, worked out. How much of it can be backed up remains to be seen.

One pattern I have noticed repeated in Scripture is that of using second choices. Isaac born after Ishmael was the recipient of God's promise. Jacob, the second born, was likewise chosen over Esau. David was God's choice for King over Saul who was the people's choice. In fact kings were not God's first choice. He only allowed a human king because the people demanded they be like other nations. Jesus is called the second Adam. It is Jesus through whom we are blessed. Israel is God's first choice, but the gentiles became the tool God used to carry the message of His salvation to the world. There are probably many other examples but these came immediately to mind.

Considering this pattern isn't it possible the angels were God's first relationship choice and yet we have received the blessing as second choice? What leads me to suggest this idea? Going back to our earlier study on the timing of the decision to go to the cross it was pointed out that it was determined before our universe was created. It was also pointed out that the plan included bringing all things in heaven and on earth under one head. Why is this necessary? Could it be because of both Adam's and Satan's fall?

I further propose our universe may be the direct result of Satan's fall. That is a big claim. Let's take a look at some of the evidence and see if it stands up under inspection.




What's In A Name?

In any discussion of the Devil it is probably necessary to have a good idea who we are talking about. Let's establish some boundaries. First, let's discuss what the Devil is not. He is not the dark side of some cosmic force. He is not co-equal with or the evil twin of Jesus or God. He is not a god at all. The Devil is a being - a created angel. He is therefore limited in power to that which God allows. God created him. God limits him. God will eventually deal with him.

Ever wonder about the Devil's name? Many people call him Lucifer. Note this is from the Latin translation of the Hebrew word heylel , which means morning star. Heylel is not a proper name. Neither is the Latin lucifer. It is not his name. This is one of those times when a mistaken tradition has become so commonly known that it is assumed true.

The name Satan may in fact be very similar. It comes from the Hebrew word satan which means adversary. It is found 27 times in 23 verses of the Old Testament. In all but three it means simply adversary. It is used to refer to one who stands in opposition to another. It sometimes refers to a particular man. It is also used of obedient angels doing God's will as when an angel opposes Balaam. Three times in the Hebrew it is written as ha-satan meaning 'the adversary' which may imply a proper name but is more likely a title attributed to the Devil.

The Greek word satanas is used 37 times in 34 verses in the New Testament. The Greek word for adversary is antidikos so it is definitely a different word. In every instance satanas is used to describe the Devil (Greek diabolos — accuser). It is Jesus speaking in 16 of those verses. While it does appear to be a proper name in the English translation this may not be the case. I guess the question is, was the Greek word borrowed from the Hebrew non-proper name for the adversary or was the Hebrew word borrowed from Satan's name?

It is highly likely that the Hebrew words ha-satan became so commonly associated with the Devil that it became his title until tradition ascribed it as his name. If that is the case, we do not know the original name of the adversary. Since it cannot be definitively determined, we will bow to tradition. For our purposes whether proper name or descriptive title, Satan does mean 'the adversary' and that makes it accurate enough.

Why did I spend so much time on the name of Satan? To point out that much of what we think we know is wrong or not fully supported by Scripture. To the Old Testament Jewish mind Satan worked within God's will. In the era between the Old and New Testament periods an understanding of Satan as opposed to God began to emerge until it was more fully revealed in the New Testament writings.

Satan's fall is attributed to pride. To the best of my ability I can only propose one verse to confirm this idea. Paul addressing Timothy on the qualifications for the office of Bishop writes:

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Tim 3:6 KJV)

That's as close as it gets. Not much to go on right? Apparently John Bunyan in “The Pilgrims Progress” popularized the pride idea. But we know Scripture says:

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov 16:18 KJV)

So it seems tradition makes a good case for claiming pride or arrogance as the sin of the accuser. Which might help to explain why Jesus goes to such great lengths to teach us to be humble servants. Adam was to be caretaker over the garden. He failed. We are to watch over one another. Are we doing a better job than Adam?

Many believers have claimed other Scriptures tell of Satan's sin. Ezekiel 28:1-19 is pointed to as showing Satan's pride exalting itself above God. It even discusses how he walked in the Garden of Eden. While this may refer to Satan, it is first and foremost talking about the King of Tyre, albeit in pretty symbolic language. Isaiah 14:12-15 contains the famous “I wills” attributed to Satan. Again maybe it is a double reference to Satan, but first it is a condemnation of the King of Babylon. While the lesson for us stands no matter who these verses refer to, it is only a possibility they refer to Satan. If you disagree with me about these verses, that is fine as it only reinforces the overall case for this article.




The Fall Facts

The Bible tells us what we need to know but not all that we might want to know concerning some issues. So just what do we know about Satan and his fall? Well, the most important thing is we can be certain of his final outcome:

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:10 KJV)

Now that we have that settled, let's turn our attention to some of the verses that do discuss the Devils' fall. First consider the account in Luke where Jesus sends out 70 disciples to go into the cities before him. He instructs them to:

heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. (Luke 10:9 KJV)

About their return the Bible tells us:

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

Is Jesus speaking in the present tense or about some past event? Hmmm. I suspect both. For the benefit of the disciples he speaks of the significance of the events of the day. But he is aware Satan has already rebelled to the point of bringing disorder to heaven and earth:

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (Rev 12: 7-13 KJV)

There is a lot in these verses. Revelations is a difficult book to grasp and I am certainly not claiming any expertise in interpreting it. I do hope to use this passage to show some of the reasons why it is hard to follow. Besides all the symbolisms, this book of prophesy is hard to place on a timeline. The war seems to be a past event from the perspective of the writer, but maybe not. Since it is prophecy it could be a future event so we need to look for other clues. The man-child the woman brought forth is a past event. The child is Jesus the Messiah who was risen by the time Revelations was penned. The war occurring after Jesus' birth does seem to agree with the Luke passage we just examined. So, does this mean the fall of Satan happens after the birth of the Savior? No, I don't believe so; let's think this through.

Who is the woman in this passage? Some commentators say she represents the Church but the Church did not bring forth Jesus: He built the Church. Some claim the woman represents believing Jews but if you back up to the beginning of Chapter 12 she first appears pregnant in heaven where Satan confronts her. The point — Jews did not first appear in heaven. None of the commentaries I have read explain this in acceptable manner — at least not to me.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Rev 12:1-4 KJV)

One side comment; the twelve stars are what cause the commentators to make their claim. The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve Apostles, depending on your tradition.

While I don't have an answer as to the identity of the woman, I will venture a guess. One possibility is that wisdom is referred to as a woman in Proverbs. Maybe the woman in Revelations is the wisdom of God. Jesus being the word of God made flesh brought forth by the wisdom of God. Therefore Satan confronts the wisdom of God in Heaven. Sounds like something pride might do to me.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Rev 12:5-6 KJV)

Regardless of her identity, after she gives birth she flees to the wilderness to a place prepared by God for her. Then the war takes place. This still does not tie down the fall for several reasons. The 1260 days, is considered by the experts to an end time reference but we know Satan is fallen before this: remember, it is Satan who torments Job and tempts Adam and Eve thousands of years prior to the birth of Jesus. The Old Testament Jews may have seen Satan as doing God's will and not as a fallen being, but because more is revealed to us in the New Testament (progressive revelation) we know this is incorrect:

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 KJV)

Remember also that Jesus' sacrifice was planned before the beginning of time. So the stand off between the Devil and his angels, and Michael and his angels, must have started before time began. No matter when the final war is fought it will have occurred because of Jesus. Apparently Satan knew before our universe was created that Jesus would ultimately destroy all the works the devil had accomplished.

As was discussed when looking at Adam's fall, we know God said the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). We know Satan will ultimately be cast into the lack of fire. Therefore the lake of fire is the second death. We traditionally call this place Hell. Calling the lake of fire Hell has caused some confusion in biblical interpretation. Let me explain; Tradition claims some of the fallen angels are already in Hell:

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6 KJV)

Also consider this:

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Pet 2:4 KJV)

In the first verse it does not say Hell, it states that they are being held in chains until judgment day. They are in prison awaiting judgment. In the second example, the word hell is used but it is not the same location as will be their final eternal state. Rather it is a prison similar or identical to where the angels in Jude are being held. Why do I say this? The verse says to be reserved unto judgment. The lake of fire is reserved for final punishment, after the judgment.

Some believe the lake of fire is metaphorical. Some believe it is literal. Whatever the lake of fire is, it will be a place of eternal punishment. It will be a place forever absent from the presence of God. If you go there it will be by your own choosing. It is reserved for those who knowingly and willingly reject submitting to the authority of Jesus. Sadly, there will be many from the earth cast into the lake on judgment day but this “Hell” was created originally for Satan:

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Mat 25:41 KJV)




The god Of This Age

It may appear we have strayed far off course in our discussion but we have not. The accuser is a created angel whose original dwelling was heaven. He rebelled against God by seeking his own will over the Lord's. His final destination is the lake of fire. Why isn't he there now? Because, he was cast to Earth. Why was he cast to Earth instead of being held in chains as some of the other offending angels? Scripture is pretty well silent on these issues. Answers are not as plentiful as we might like. We must attempt to piece together this puzzle from the information we know.

What we do know is this is all part of a bigger plan that God has to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head. We also know that Satan has been given a lot of power and authority on earth. He was given authority to kill Job's livestock, his servants and even his children. The Devil also afflicted Job's body. When killing Job's children the accuser used the wind to accomplish his evil. Other times he incited people to do his dirty work. He can only go as far as God allows, but we grossly underestimate his power.

Satan currently holds the power of death:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- (Heb 2:14 NIV)

Satan is called among other things the god of this age:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor 4:4 NIV)

For what purpose has he been allowed such freedom of reign when he is a fallen being destined for eternal punishment? Part of the answer surely lies in the realization that men continue to do evil even though their end is also certain. In the case of men, God is long suffering with us in the hopes that we will repent and turn to him. While we do not know if such an opportunity has been extended to the angels we can be certain Satan has no intention of repenting. By allowing Satan to continue to lie, kill, and destroy something of eternal significance is being accomplished.

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15 NIV)

God does not tempt us to do evil but the accuser has no problem with doing this. His evil is being used to separate men into two groups, those who will follow after their own ways and those who will seek after God's will. Satan's relentless attacks against us during our short lifetimes expose the hidden motives of our hearts. Who we will serve in eternity is made apparent. If we will serve the Lord now though we are tormented on every side, how much more will we honor him when we are freed from the fiery darts of Satan?

Each of us has a burning ember of rebellion within us. Our self-centered desires are the match. Satan is the accelerant. Satan's temptations don't create the sin; they provide opportunity for our own intentions to be fanned into flame. Understand each of us has selfish desires; the important thing is what we do with them when the gasoline is poured on. Do we cheer burn baby burn! Or do we yell fire, fire! Most of us will try to stomp out the fire when we realize it is out of control, but the truth is Jesus is the only one who can permanently extinguish the flame and remove all trace of its damage.

I hope you can see the accuser is serving an eternal purpose on earth even though his own desire is only to destroy. He is exposing our inner desires so that at the judgment all men will be without excuse for their sin will be obvious to them. I can't prove this next statement but given the pattern of how God is dealing with mankind I believe this is a good indication of how God is restoring order in Heaven.

Consider the following:

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Mat 12:37)

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (Mat 15:18)

God judges man first on the basis of whether we have submitted to Jesus, placing our trust in him to save us. If we do not count on Jesus to be our righteousness then we will be judged by our own words. Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, this is a suicide mission. You cannot save yourself. If this is how God deals with man, and if God does not change, then it only makes sense that God is doing the same thing in Heaven.




The Big Picture

The war in Heaven is over Jesus. Apparently, when God the Father saw Satan's desires were burning within him, God determined to turn the throne over to the Son. Jesus became the accelerant fanning the Devil's rebellion into flame. From tradition we believe Satan thought he deserved to rule on the throne and so the split in Heaven occurred. One day when the Son has restored Heaven and Earth, placing all things under his subjection, he will return control of the throne to the Father.

The angels by their words and actions have aligned themselves either to serve the Son in eternity or to be cast into the lake of fire. I have not a clue why they would willingly choose to rebel against a God that they could see face to face. Then again, when Jesus, who is God made flesh, walked on earth many rejected him because he did not match their preconceived notions of what a Savior should look and act like. Just maybe, Jesus did not match the preconceived notion of what the ruler of Heaven should look like.

When the rebellion occurred God could have wiped the angels out of existence or immediately cast them into the lake of fire. He didn't, and not just because it isn't his nature. If God had zapped Satan into Hell what would have been the reaction of the two-thirds of the angels who did not join the uprising? At first they might have reacted enthusiastically. The God they worshipped is in control!

At some point, I suspect free will would kick in and some of them would have begun to question what had happened. The words of the accuser who whined that God was not being fair in his dealings with the angels would have come to mind. Doubt may have entered the picture. Then fear that God might unfairly punish the rest of the angels would have surfaced. A leader who leads by fear will not have a strong kingdom. The subjects will conclude it is inevitable they will be punished at some point. When that happens the subjects will determine to be in control by at least picking what crimes they will be punished for committing.

God is a God of love. He wants his subjects to follow willingly out of devotion. He will not force himself on the angels or us, but he will enforce his will. In order to have perfect peace in Heaven, God would have to prove to all that he is being just in sending Satan to the lake of fire. To accomplish this he had to expose the evil motives behind the rebellion.

I believe at this time God created the lake of fire for those who chose not to follow him. He also created our universe about this time. Satan and his angels could not remain in heaven and continue polluting it but they could not be sentenced to eternal punishment until God's purpose was clear. Instead they were cast into our universe.

While Satan serves God's purpose in dealing with man, so man serves a purpose in dealing with Satan. The Devil's relentless attacks against man serve to expose his motives to the angels in Heaven. His actions will also be used at the judgment, before he is cast into the lake of fire. Even Satan will not be able to deny his guilt, for all are without excuse, even the Devil and his angels.




The Frustrated Creation Set Free

We have finally reached the point where we can look at the verses in Romans that discuss the creation being subjected to frustration:

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Rom 8:19-22 NIV)

I use the NIV translation here because the KJV uses creature in place of creation in verses 19, 20, & 21, only in verse 22 does it use creation. The word in question here is the Greek ktisis , which can mean building, creation, creature, or ordinance. Creation seems to be the correct translation. There is the possibility that the frustrated creation spoken of is only the earth. I remain convinced it implies the entirety of the universe because concerning the end times we are told this about the heaven and earth:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Pet 3:10 KJV)

It will be followed with a new heaven and a new earth:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Rev 21:1 KJV)

The new heaven and new earth do not seem to follow many of the rules of physics that restrict the present creation. Some claim this event will be a restoration of the earth to its original condition before Adam's fall. They do this because God called all that he created 'very good'. Yet scripture clearly says it will be a new heaven and new earth not restored ones.

The use of the words very good do not imply perfect as tradition understands it to mean. It comes from our self-centered attitude discussed earlier that the kosmos revolves around us. The center of everything is now, as always, God and his will. We were on God's mind when he created the universe but he also had another agenda in mind. The universe was already touched by the sin of the fallen angels when it was created. Therefore it was not created perfect.

It was, however, created 'very good' which means it pleased God and served his grand plan. God subjected creation to frustration from the beginning of time. One day he will recreate it in perfection. At that time tears will be wiped away. At that time there will no more death. What a day that will be!




God, Genesis and the big bang








Copyright © 2005 by Kevin Sluder

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