As we near the crisis that is to come, many people are
concerned as to what will happen to their family and friends. They know
not where to turn, nor what to do. Why, they ask, has God allowed such
calamity to come upon us? If God is a God of love, then why doesn't He
do something to put an end to all this suffering that is in the world?
If God can see the end from the beginning, then why didn't He intervene
and prevent all the problems that man has brought upon himself? These are
all good and relevant questions that deserve answers. However they can
only be answered if we as part of His creation are prepared to look at
the bigger picture. When we do this we shall see that there are answers
to all of life's perplexing questions.
"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.""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."
NOTE AND ANSWER: The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it began in Heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of rebellion of sin, is a demonstration of God's unchanging love. True love is not feelings or emotions, it is a principle. This principle can only be effective when all mankind esteems his brother better than himself. So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. Then little by little, Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail and become the more determined to dispute the supremacy of the Son of God. Thus impeaching the wisdom and love of the creator had become the purpose of this prince of angels. This mighty and glorious angel had challenged the very sovereignty of God, and with this challenge came a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice and loyalty were struggling against envy and jealousy. After challenging the government of Heaven Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.
"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."
NOTE AND ANSWER: Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light---misconstructing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings, while claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God. He urged that changes to the constitution of God were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the other angels, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of Heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, with consummate craft he caused to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace. The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. Through deceit he hoped to seat himself upon the throne of God.
"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."
NOTE AND ANSWER: Lucifer was enshrouded with glory as the covering cherub (angel) in the courts of heaven. Yet this angel whom God had created and entrusted with power became desirous of the position of God. He gained the sympathy of some of his associates by suggesting thoughts of criticism regarding the government of God. This evil seed was scattered in a most seducing manner, and after it had sprung up and taken root in the minds of many, he gathered the ideas that he himself had implanted in the minds of others, and brought them before the highest order of angels as the thought of other minds against the government of God. Thus by ingenious methods of his own devising Lucifer introduced rebellion in heaven.
God desired that change take place and that the work of Lucifer be brought out in the genuine aspect. But the under working was so subtle that it could not be made appear before the heavenly host as the thing that it really was; and so there was war in Heaven, and Lucifer was expelled with all who would not stand on the side of loyalty to God's government. This condition of things had existed a long period of time before Lucifer was unmasked and the evil was expelled.
In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven, it was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their loyalty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accord then. God permitted Lucifer to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. Then there was war in heaven and Lucifer and his sympathizers were cast out. Lucifer had fought for the mastery of Heaven, and had lost the battle.
"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."
NOTE AND ANSWER: Until fully developed it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; Lucifer's disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading. This discord which his own course had caused in heaven Lucifer charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve the status of God. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes to the divine constitution. His own work must condemn him. Lucifer had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked. In so deceptive a way did Lucifer work that the sentiments that he inoculated could not be dealt with until they had developed in the minds of those who received them. He persistently defended his own cause and fully committed himself to the conflict against his maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, "The Light Bearer", the sharer of God's glory, the attendant of his throne, by rebellion became Satan, "the adversary" of God---cast out of Heaven. Satan set up his kingdom in this world, and ever since he has been untiringly striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God by joining him in his rebellion. Satan became the avowed antagonist of Christ. On the earth he planted the standard of rebellion, and round it his sympathizers rallied. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, as well as to the inhabitants of this world, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression and to save them from committing sin and suffering its penalty.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
NOTE AND ANSWER: No longer free to stir op rebellion in heaven, Satan's enmity against God found a new field in plotting the ruin of the human race. In the happiness and peace of the holy pair in Eden he beheld a vision of the bliss that to him was forever lost. Moved by envy he determined to incite them [Adam and Eve] to rebel and bring upon them the guilt and penalty of sin. The rebellion of man filled all Heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with the curse of sin and inhabited by people doomed to misery and death. The Son of God, heaven's Glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. It was to redeem us that Jesus lived, suffered and died. He became a man of sorrows that we might be partakers of everlasting joy. The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our Heavenly Father is giving His Son to die for us, should give us exulted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. Such love is without parallel.
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
NOTE AND ANSWER: This world is the battlefield for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as a theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell. Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground man and women either accept or reject the world's Redeemer, all are witnesses either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers that they may inherit the crown of life. Battles are to be fought every day. A great warfare is going on over every soul between the prince of darkness and the Prince of Life. We do not understand as we should the great conflict going on behind the scenes for control of this world---the conflict between invisible agencies. Over every man and woman, good and evil angels strive. This is no make believe conflict, it is not mimic battles in which we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which will win.
Could human beings know the number of evil angels, could they know their devices and their activity, there would be far less pride and frivolity. Satan is the prince of demons. The evil angels over whom he rules do his bidding. Through them he multiplies his agencies, he instigates all the evil that exists in our world.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
NOTE AND ANSWER: Come, you how are seeking your own pleasure in forbidden joys and sinful indulgences, you who are scattering from Christ. Look upon the cross of Calvary. Behold the royal victim suffering on your account, and while you have opportunity to be wise, and seek the fountain of life and true happiness. Come, you who complain and murmur at the little inconveniences and the few trials you must meet in this life. Look on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Come, all of you who think you have no need of Him. He turned from the royal throne, His high command, and laying aside His divinity clothed Himself with humanity. For our sakes He was rejected and despised; He became pore that we through His poverty might be made rich. Christ is seeking to uplift all who will be lifted to companionship with Himself, that we maybe one with Him. He permits us to come into contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness; He seeks to develop in us the attributes of His character --- compassion, tenderness and love. In heaven none will think of self, nor seek their own pleasure; but all from pure, genuine love will seek the happiness of the heavenly beings around them. If we wish to enjoy heavenly society in the earth made new, we must be governed by heavenly principles here.
Come, my friend, why put it off? Why delay? He is waiting with arms
outstretched. He is waiting for you my friend.
So long as all created beings acknowledge the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies. But a change came over this happy state. There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures.
Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. Though all this glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as to pertaining to himself. Not content with his position, though honoured above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiances of all created beings, it was his endevour to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And coveting the glory with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this prince of angels aspired the power that was the prerogative of Christ alone. Now the perfect harmony of heaven was broken. Lucifer's disposition to serve himself instead of his Creator aroused a feeling of apprehension when observed by those who considered that the glory of God should be supreme.
The angels joyfully acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and prostrating themselves before Him poured out their love and adoration. Lucifer bowed before them, but in his heart there was a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice and loyalty were struggling against envy and jealousy. Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Farther, Lucifer went forth to defuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. He began to insinuate doubts into their minds. There had been no change in the position or authourity of Christ. Lucifer's envy and misrepresentation and his claims to equality with Christ had made necessary a statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had been the same from the beginning. Many of the angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer's deceptions.
Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he so artfully instilled into there minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God on a false light---misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings; then these expressions were repeated by him when it would serve his purpose, as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the government of God. While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God he urged that changes in order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace. The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. While there was no open outbreak, division of feeling imperceptibly grew up among the angels. There were some who looked with favour upon Lucifer's insinuations against the government of God.
In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven. It was a new element, strange, mysterious and unaccountable. Lucifer himself had not at first been acquainted with the real nature of his feelings; for a time he had feared to express the workings and imaginings of his mind; yet he did not dismiss them. He did not see whither he was drifting. But such efforts as infinite love and wisdom only could devise were made to convince him of his error. His disaffection was proved to be without cause and he was made to see what would be the result of persisting in revolt. He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, "the light bearer," the sharer of Gods glory, the attendant of his throne, by transgression became Satan, "the adversary" of God and holy beings, and the destroyer of those whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardianship.
He had determined to claim the honour which should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers; and he prommised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government, under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader. Flattered by the favour with which his advances were received, he hoped to win all the angels to his side, to become equal with God Himself, and to be obeyed by the entire host of heaven. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them. So far as Satan himself was concerned, it was true that he had now gone to far to return. But not so with those who had been blinded by his deceptions. To them the counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope; and had they heeded the warning they might have broken away from the snare of Satan. But pride, love for their leader, and the desire for unrestricted freedom were permitted to bear sway, and the pleading of divine love and mercy were finally rejected.
God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all. Lucifer, as the anointed cherub, had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was strong. God's government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but all of the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer had concluded that if he could carry the angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also all the worlds. He had artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objets. His power to deceive was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work, until fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; his disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading.
Lucifer had at first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood uncommitted. The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he was doing, he charged upon the loyal angels. It was his policy to perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. And his high position, so closely concerned with the government gave greater force to his representations.
God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not---flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven and of all the worlds that God's government is just. His law is perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works. The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine constitution.. his own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked. Even when he was cast out of heaven, infinite wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequence of his rebellion, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God might be forever placed beyond all question.
Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages---a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of the terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin and suffering its penalty.
Satan can skillfully play the game of life with many souls, and he acts in a most underhanded, deceptive manner to spoil the faith of the people of God and to discourage them. He works today as he worked in heaven, to divide the people of God in the very last stage of earth's history. He seeks to create dissension and to arouse contention, discussion and strife.
He that ruleth in the heavens is the one who sees
the end from the beginning---the one before whom the mysteries of the past
and the future are alike outspread, and who, beyond the woe and darkness
and ruin that sin has wrought, beholds the accomplishment of His own purposes
of love and blessing. And this the inhabitants of the universe, both loyal
and disloyal, will one day understand. "His work is perfect: for all
His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right
is He." Deuteronomy 32:4.
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