Satan

Editorial – Great Wrath, Part I

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When Jesus died, a voice was heard in heaven saying, “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.” Revelation 12:10.

When the dragon was cast down, “he persecuted the woman which gave birth to the male [Child].” Revelation 12:13. The Holy Spirit foresaw this: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:12. This prophecy was fulfilled the first time after the resurrection of Christ. (See Early Writings, 191, 192.) The final fulfillment of this prophecy is in the last days, in our time.

“The great controversy between good and evil will increase in intensity to the very close of time. In all ages the wrath of Satan has been manifested against the church of Christ; and God has bestowed His grace and Spirit upon His people to strengthen them. . . . But as the church approaches her final deliverance, Satan is to work with greater power. . . . He will work ‘with all power and signs and lying wonders.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:9. For six thousand years that mastermind that once was highest among the angels of God has been wholly bent to the work of deception and ruin. And all the depths of satanic skill and subtlety acquired, all the cruelty developed, during these struggles of the ages, will be brought to bear against God’s people in the final conflict.” The Great Controversy, ix, x.

“Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. . . . As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.” Ibid., 624.

“The adversary of our souls will approach us as a heavenly guest . . . .” Testimonies, vol. 3, 374.

“Christ is the only refuge in these perilous times. Satan is at work in secrecy and darkness. Cunningly he draws away the followers of Christ from the cross and brings them into self-indulgence and wickedness.” Ibid., vol. 4, 210.

“The more we learn in reference to the early days of the Christian church, and see with what subtlety Satan worked to weaken and destroy, the better we shall be prepared to resist his devices and meet coming perils. We are in the time when tribulations such as the world has never yet seen will prevail.” Ibid., vol. 5, 297.

“God is leading his people out from the abominations of the world, that they may keep his law; and because of this, the rage of ‘the accuser of our brethren’ knows no bounds. . . . There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by so many of professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet he will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Everyone must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.” The Gospel Herald, August 1, 1910.

The Disappointed God

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The Bible talks a lot about the subject of the disappointed God. Let’s look first at Isaiah 14 where we read about The Shining One. When the King James Bible was translated, they were not sure what to call this person in verse 12. The Hebrew name is Helel. This word is only used one time in the Bible, and it means “The Shining One.” Some translators believe that it means “The Morning Star” or “The Daystar.”

The Shining One

There is no question that it has to mean “The Shining One” or “A Shining Star.” Since the King James translators were not sure how to translate it, they just left it. They translated it into Latin and gave it the same translation as you would see in the Latin Bible, the Latin Vulgate. The Latin word for a shining one, light bearer, is Lucifer. Lucifer is a Latin word. It is not Hebrew, Greek, or English.

But notice what verses 12–14 say: “How you are fallen from heaven [the heavens], O Lucifer [Shining One], [the] sun of the morning [or the sun or the dawn]! How you are cut down to the ground, you [the one] who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend [go up] into heaven [the heavens], and I will exalt my throne [go up] above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation [my throne where I will sit will be in the mountain of the set meetings or set feast days where the people congregate] on the farthest side [in the sides of the north]; I will ascend [go up] above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’”

First Disappointment

This was the first time we have recorded when God was disappointed. God had created Lucifer. Lucifer did not create himself. And He made him a shining one, the sun of the dawn, the sun of the morning. He evidently was the most beautiful and gorgeous of all the angels.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 28 that his heart became lifted up because of his beauty. Not only was he made very beautiful, every precious stone was his covering. (See verse 13.) So what would he have looked like when he walked around? Talk about jewelry! This is one of the reasons, by the way, that Christians are cautioned in the Bible about not wearing jewelry, because jewelry proved one of the factors in Lucifer’s downfall.

You are going to get more jewelry than you have ever seen in your life when you go to heaven, but in this world when you have a sinful, fallen nature, it is not to be worn. Why? Well, you are in the same danger as Lucifer—pride, when you do not even know that you have a problem. And what does the Bible say is going to happen to all the proud? They are all going to burn up. (See Malachi 4:1.)

Pride is a lethal disease that has no symptoms. That is, no symptoms that the person themselves can detect. And very often people around them cannot detect it either. A proud person can be a preacher, an elder, a deacon, an evangelist, and a leader in God’s work.

You can read the story of Lucifer’s fall several places in the writings of Ellen White. One place is in the first chapter of Patriarchs and Prophets. She says there that efforts such as only infinite wisdom could devise were made to show Lucifer his error. Not only that, she says that Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong.

He was given opportunity to confess his wrong and return. In fact, she says that he almost made the decision to come back. Almost. But do you know what it was that kept him from doing it? Pride. (See page 39.) He had been the most exalted of all the angels in heaven. And for somebody of his exalted status to admit that he had made a mistake was too much.

Mercy and Longsuffering

How is it with you and me? Can we admit when we have made a mistake? If we have trouble with that, we have the same problem that Lucifer had. If he could have admitted that he made a mistake, the whole great controversy could have been averted. God was disappointed because His mercy and longsuffering were misinterpreted.

Friends, that is one of our major problems in the world today. Because God is merciful and longsuffering, because sentence against wickedness is not executed speedily, the heart is fully set to do evil. (See Ecclesiastes 8:11.) So Lucifer misinterpreted God’s mercy and His longsuffering. He thought that if he persisted, he would get his own way. He was warned that he would not.

Helel, Lucifer; The Shining One, The Morning Star, The Sun of the Dawn, was so intelligent that he deceived a third of the angels. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 291.) He believed that if he persisted he could get the allegiance of the whole universe. God was disappointed because His mercy and His longsuffering were misinterpreted.

How is it in our lives? Are we misinterpreting God’s mercy and His longsuffering? Are we trying to take advantage of it? Are we in our minds thinking, Well, I know that this is wrong but I want to do it, and I am going to do it, and after I do it, I will confess it, and the Lord will forgive me.

Oh, friend, do not do it. Do not try to take advantage of God’s longsuffering and His mercy. I know a number of people that decided to go out in the world at some point and then, when they wanted to come back, they found out that it is not nearly as easy to come back as they thought. That is one of the devil’s deceptions to people—go and do whatever you please; God is merciful; He is longsuffering; He will forgive you.

Second Disappointment

So the name of Helel, Lucifer, The Shining One, was changed. And we find in the book of Job that this Helel, this Lucifer, this Shining One, is referred to by the name he received after he fell. The Hebrew is Hassatan or in English, Satan. Satan is a Hebrew word, but in Hebrew they pronounce it Sahtahn. Sahtahn means adversary. He became the adversary, not only of God, but of anyone who was faithful and true to God. He did the same thing then as he had done with the angels in heaven—he tried to win the battle by deception.

In Genesis 3, you can read the account of how Adam and Eve sinned. It says: “And they heard the sound of the Lord [voice of Jehovah] God walking in the [midst] of the Garden in the [breeze or the] cool of the day. And Adam and his wife [they] hid themselves [the man and his wife] from presence [the face] of the Lord [Jehovah] God among [in the midst of] the trees of the Garden. Then the Lord [Jehovah] God called to Adam [the man] and he said to him, ‘Where are you?’” Verses 8, 9.

You create somebody. You create paradise for them. You give them everything that the heart could desire and give them dominion and rulership over the entire world, and they turn traitor on you and listen to your archenemy. And God said, “Where are you?” That is the voice of a disappointed God. “Where are you?” They are running to hide. “Where are you?” That voice of God has spoken so many times since then, asking the very same question. “Where are you?”

You Will Not Be God

Some people say, Oh, I was just trying to have a good time. What are people after? The devil told Eve, “God knows that in the day [that] you eat of [from] it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God [gods] knowing good and evil.” Verse 5. Were their eyes opened?

Well, yes, their eyes were opened all right, but what a sad opening. And our eyes have been open ever since that time. Every single member of the human race knows good and evil. We know good because God has placed within us a conscience. And when we do evil, our conscience complains. We have a guilty conscience. And the devil told Eve, “You will be like God!”

That is still what the men and women of this world who are not converted want to be. It is a great disappointment to God. The devil lied, but let me tell you the truth. You and I are never going to be God. If you are saved, a billion years from now you will still be a created being that was saved by the blood of Christ. You will not be God.

Let me explain to you what the difference is between a created being and God, because the devil has people confused on this point. The difference is, God can do whatever He pleases.

That is a true statement. The devil knows it; that is how he tempted the angels. The devil said to the angels, “God can do whatever He pleases, and you cannot because you have to obey the law.” Do not ever forget that God can do whatever He pleases, and He is above the law.

In fact, if God were not above the law, then it would not have done any good for Jesus to come and die on the cross. An angel could not become a human being and then die on the cross, because an angel was a created being, created under law. Every created being is created under law. But God is not under the law. Some people think that God is under His own laws. The Bible does not teach that. God is above the law.

But the devil tempted both Adam and Eve and the angels, telling them they could be like God. You can do whatever you please; including breaking the law, if you please. That is what the great controversy has been about ever since the beginning and what it still is about today. The vast majority of the Christian world today believes that they can be like God.

They believe that they can alter God’s law. A Catholic priest said to a friend of mine, “We did not change the law of God; we just adjusted it.” The question is, Does God’s law need to be adjusted? No! If you can adjust something that God has done, then you are equal or above God yourself. You are like God. That is what the devil wanted us to think. That is what he persuaded the angels. That is what he persuaded Adam and Eve. That is the second time recorded that God was disappointed.

Greatest Sacrifice

After that God said to the devil, “I [am going to] will put [hatred] enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed [your descendants] and her Seed [her descendants]; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. He was speaking to the devil, the serpent. The devil is called that ancient serpent in Revelation 12:9 because he spoke through a serpent to deceive our first parents.

This was the first intimation to Adam and Eve that there was going to be a plan of redemption. And the plan of redemption, of course, involved all heaven in the greatest sacrifice. It is a marvelous thing to study how our God has responded to His disappointments. It would have been so much easier for Him to say, We will just let this thing play out. The whole universe will see what sin is like.

Let me tell you, they did not ever want anything to do with sin again. You can read in the first part of The Desire of Ages that after the sin problem had gone on for 4,000 years the earth was so wicked that the angels were waiting and expecting God to wipe out this planet. The devil was hoping that he would be able to carry his rebellion to other planets. (See page 37.)

Third Disappointment

One of the most astonishing things about God to me is how He responds to His disappointments. Do not think, however, that it is always with mercy, because sometimes He responds with judgments. Let us look at a third example of the disappointed God in Genesis 6:3. This was after the marriage institution was perverted by the antediluvians.

“And the Lord [Jehovah] said, ‘My spirit shall [will] not strive [struggle] with man forever, for [because] he is indeed [also is] flesh; yet [but] his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’” Verse 5 says, “Then the Lord [Jehovah] saw that the wickedness [evil] of man was great in the earth, and that every intent [imagination] of the thoughts [and meditations] of his heart was only evil [all day long] continually.”

And then it says in verse 11: “[And] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Now these are significant Scriptures, because Jesus said in Matthew 24:37–39, “But as the days of Noah were, so [shall it] also will the coming of the Son of Man be [in the days when the son of man is revealed]. For as in the days [that were] before the flood, they were eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and [they] did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will [shall] the coming of the Son of Man be.”

What was it like before the flood? We just saw four things:

  1. They perverted the marriage institution.
  2. God said, You are not going to do that forever; you are going to have a time of probation, but it is coming to an end.
  3. The evil was great and the thoughts of men’s hearts, their imaginations, were only evil all day long.
  4. The earth was corrupt, and it was filled with violence.

It was so bad that this is the time that God repented Himself that He had made man. That is how disappointed He was. And so God sent Noah.

Fourth Disappointment

I want to come now to a fourth example of when God was disappointed. A third of the angels had proved unfaithful; they had fallen. Adam and Eve had proved unfaithful; they listened to the devil. The whole world except for Noah and his three sons had turned against God before the flood. The whole world appeared to turn against God after the flood. It looked like the devil was winning.

It looked like idolatry had completely overspread the world, but God chose a man who was faithful. His name was Abraham. Actually his name was Abram, but God changed his name later to Abraham, which means the father of the peoples or father of the nations. There are many, many nations today who look directly to Abraham as their father.

But when we talk about Abraham, we are not talking about the children of the flesh, like Ishmael and his descendents; we are talking about the children of the promise, the descendents of Isaac. The devil immediately tried to overcome this people.

Just look at the hatred that developed against Joseph. Look at the experience of the children of Israel, just a few weeks after the ten commandments were given, worshipping a golden calf. Then they murmured and complained through the wilderness.

What was going on? The devil was trying to stir things up to get God’s own people to turn against Him. Read the Book of Judges and you see one time after another that the Lord delivers them and they are faithful for about a generation, 40 years. Then they go back into idolatry again.

In Isaiah 63:9, 10, we read that “in all [of] their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; and in His love and in His pity [mercy] He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved [they vexed] His Holy Spirit; [and] so He turned Himself against them as [to become their] an enemy.” This is the fourth time that we read about the disappointed God.

Fifth Disappointment

We see the culmination of this in the New Testament. In the Book of Luke we read the account of Jesus at the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what is called today Palm Sunday, about five days before the crucifixion. “As He drew near, He saw [seeing] the city and [He] wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make [belong to] your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. [Because they will come] For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build [against you] an embankment around you, and will surround you [all about and will shut] close you in on every side and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you a stone upon another [stone], because you did not know the time of your visitation.’ ” Luke 19:41–44.

Does this sound like the cry of a disappointed God? Jesus said to the Jews, “You, Jerusalem, you are the one. You are the one that killed the prophets and stoned those that are sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not want to.”

I read these words for many years just as a historical story, but I found out a few years ago now that these words of Jesus, the disappointed God, is not just about the past. In The Review and Herald, October 8, 1901, Ellen White wrote: “When the Saviour saw in the Jewish people a nation divorced from God, He saw also a professed Christian Church united to the world and the Papacy.” When He saw the church divorced from God and united to the world, He was disappointed.

So we have a fifth example of the disappointed God. He said, I would like to gather you together, I would like to save you all. But in Luke 19, Jesus is looking at the loss of a whole nation, and He is looking forward into the future to the loss of a church that is united with the world and with the papacy.

We cannot change the fact that God is disappointed in a world that has forsaken His law, turned their back on Him, and will not listen to Him. But the real personal question is, Is God disappointed in me?

In Revelation 3:14–22, we see God’s invitation to Laodicea. These are people that think they are all right when they are all wrong. They have left their first love. They are just lukewarm. Oh, friend of mine, how is it in your heart today? Do you love Jesus with all your heart, soul, and mind? Is He Number One in your affections? Or have you lost your first love? Are you lukewarm?

“Leaving the first love is represented as a spiritual fall. Many have fallen thus. In every church in our land, there is needed confession, repentance and reconversion. The disappointment of Christ is beyond description. Unless those who have sinned speedily repent, the deceptions of the last days will overtake them. Some, though they do not realize it, are preparing to be overtaken. God calls for repentance without delay. So long have many trifled with salvation that their spiritual eyesight is dimmed, and they can not discern between light and darkness. Christ is humiliated in His people. The first love is gone, the faith is weak, there is need of a thorough transformation.” Review and Herald, December 15, 1904.

Well Pleased

There was One who caused no disappointment. In John 8:29 we read, “And [the One] He who sent Me is with Me. The Father [He] has not left Me alone, for [because] I always do those things that please him.” God said, when He spoke concerning His Son, both on the Mount of Transfiguration and at His baptism, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17; 17:5.

God was not disappointed. Would you like to be restored through the power of the Holy Spirit so when God looks at you, He can say to the devil and to the fallen angels and to the whole lost, wicked world what He said about Job? He said, Do you see My servant Job over there? He is a perfect man. Job did what was pleasing in God’s sight. (See Job 1:1, 8; 2:3.) Would you like God to be able to say that about you?

Praise the Lord, we serve a God that Who, even when disappointed, is still willing to work miracles in the lives of the people who disappointed Him—if they are willing to turn and repent, if they are willing for His divine power to work in their hearts and lives and change them.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

The Seed of the Woman

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Perhaps the most powerful gospel sermon that was ever preached was preached by the Lord Himself and is recorded in Genesis 3. This sermon is of great importance for us in the times in which we are living, because it addresses the issues that we are facing today.

Parameters of the Bible

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1–5.

Though we will see more dimensions as we progress, in these few verses the parameters are set for the rest of the Bible.

“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Did you notice what happened? The devil used what is known as a covert negative. A covert negative is the insinuation of a doubt while seeking to appear otherwise.

“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.”

Eve did something that we have been warned never to do—she parleyed with the enemy. Ellen White tells us that the devil, through the serpent, hypnotized her. (See Review and Herald, February 24, 1874; Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 10.) He used conversational hypnosis, otherwise known as NLP [neuro-linguistic programming].

God has given to us a commission to proclaim the everlasting gospel, not to parley with the enemy. The enemy, however, seeks to engage us in negotiation, and, like the woman, we parley with him, allowing him to gain control over our minds.

“But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Now the devil directly challenges the word of God.

He continues, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” In other words, you, rather than God, will determine what is good and evil. This is the philosophy presented by Friedrich Nietzsche in his book, Beyond Good and Evil. (Vintage Books, New York, 1989.) He presents the concept that it is possible for a person to develop a personal lifestyle established upon his own norms of good and evil and without regard to the definition of good and evil laid down by the Lord. This is the original lie that the serpent told Eve. Even though today the majority of people in the world no longer question this idea, it is spiritualism, which, like a dark fog, is settling over all society. There is scarcely an aspect of human life, whether it be government, religion, law, or culture, that is not affected.

“And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Genesis 3:6, 7.

Having accepted Satan’s assertions as truth, Adam and Eve were now allied to him—one in nature.

“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.” Verse 8.

They had never responded this way before. This was their first experience in hiding from God.

“The Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou?” Verse 9.

This same question has come ringing down through time. Where art thou modern man? Where are you in your thinking? Where are you in relationship to My Word? Where are you in relationship to My presence? Where art thou?

“And he [Adam] said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.” Verse 10.

Man hides himself from God because of the sense of his nakedness and his fear of appearing in the presence of His Creator unclothed by the garment of Christ’s righteousness. It is to meet this great need that the Three Angels’ Messages focus on the proclamation of the righteousness of Christ, which is to be received by faith.

“And he [God] said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, wherof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Verse 11. Have you partaken of spiritualism? Have you fallen into the trap of the devil?

“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Verse 12.

The spirit of accusation, which leads to the fracturing of human relationships—something never before known—now brought division between Adam and his wife. Today, under the impact of spiritualism, human relationships are being broken apart, unraveling the very fabric of society. Ellen White tells us that this process will continue to grow worse until we will see a situation in this world which will exceed that which brought about the reign of terror in France. (See Education, 228.)

“The Lord God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 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; and upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” Verses 13, 14.

Now comes the first gospel sermon ever preached. Notice that, in addressing Adam and Eve, God directs His words to the serpent. “And I will put enmity [hatred or hostility] between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Verse 15.

In these few words, the Lord laid down the great parameters for the struggle that would take place in the working out of the great controversy—the unending warfare that would exist between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent until the close of time.

Good and Evil

Ellen White, commenting on this, says, “His [the devil’s] seed will war against the righteous, and the wicked will endeavor to exterminate the good from the face of the earth. . . . Whenever a soul takes a decided stand for truth, the head of the serpent is bruised by the seed of the woman, and the serpent can bruise but the heel of the seed.” The Youth’s Instructor, October 11, 1894.

“The enmity referred to in the prophecy in Eden was not to be confined merely to Satan and the Prince of life. It was to be universal. . . . The seed of Satan is wicked men, who resist the Spirit of God, and who call the law, as did their father the devil, a yoke of bondage.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 117. “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.

Here the distinction is clearly made. The seed of the woman are those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony and faith of Jesus. The seed of the wicked one, the devil, are those who call the law a yoke of bondage and who commit sin. This is the cleavage point. It is also the cleavage point between Israel and Babylon, as we will shortly see.

“The enmity that exists in the heart against evil has no natural existence [now, this is a very important point], but is an enmity that has been created through the agency of the Holy Spirit. . . . He [Satan] originates traditions, and through his maxims he succeeds in assimilating to his own nature the nature of those who do not yield allegiance to the law of God.” The Signs of the Times, June 11, 1894.

We do not have a natural hatred against evil, but the Holy Spirit has put this hatred against evil in our hearts.

Notice how Satan works by introducing traditions and maxims to conform all, who do not yield allegiance to the law of God, to his own nature.

“It is God alone that can continually put enmity between the seed of the woman and the serpent’s seed. After the transgression of man his nature became evil. Then was peace between Satan and fallen man. Had there been no interference on the part of God, men would have formed an alliance against heaven. . . . There is no native enmity between fallen angels and fallen men. . . . Fallen angels and fallen men join in companionship.” The Gospel Herald, July 1, 1898.

In the outworking of these principles, we see a separation but also unity. On the one hand, we see the seed of the woman in harmony with God, with His Law, and with the unfallen beings throughout the universe. In contrast, there develops a harmony between fallen man and fallen angels. Jesus wants us to recognize these distinctions, which is why, when the Jewish leaders confronted Him seeking to engage Him in a debate, He said, “Ye are of [your] father the devil.” John 8:44. They were the seed of the serpent, and Jesus clearly identified them as such.

Concept of Christian Love

How different from this clear demarcation between right and wrong is the present concept of Christian love. This idea has captured the thinking of American society, completely divesting love of the control placed upon it by an awareness of the holiness of God.

The modern approach to love is really the result of merging Buddhism with Christianity. The Buddhist view of love is primarily oriented to human beings and the elimination of hatred. It seeks to teach beautiful concepts of love while denying the fall and the need of a Saviour from sin. While it sounds like a beautiful concept, and is one with which most people would heartily agree, it is spiritualistic in nature and does not reckon with the reality of Scripture. Today, these concepts have infiltrated all our psychology, entirely altering the culture of the Western World. But what did God say to Adam and Eve? I will put hatred between thy seed and her seed.

The true Christian view of love recognizes that God’s love does not naturally exist in the human heart. Jesus, the Saviour, is needed. In the pure, holy love that He gives in the gift of His holiness, righteousness is supreme and results in supreme love to God and impartial love to man. Christian love, centered in Christ and regulated by the Law of God, is in complete harmony with the Scriptures.

Genuine love is ever antagonistic to the spirit of Satan, for there is an unreconcilable conflict between Satan and Christ. Jesus said, “Ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake.” “I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:22, 34.

If all of humanity were to accept Christ and come into harmony with the principles of heaven, the most wonderful love would exist. It would be a heaven on earth, but true everlasting peace can only be achieved through surrender to Christ and His principles.

The Buddhistic concept of love is a tolerance of everything but the truth as it is in Jesus. It is, therefore, especially opposed to the proclamation of any message which warns against false religion, such as the exposure of the man of sin. It is one of the foremost antagonists of the love of Christ as manifested in the gift of His righteousness. It gives evidence of its hostility to the Lord and His truth by striving to turn the soul’s loyalty from Christ while seeking to destroy the operation of the Holy Spirit in the soul, which works in the heart of man, inspiring hostility against Satan and his seed.

God is a being of holiness, and God’s holiness involves hostility against sin. He commits Himself to act in the defense of the presence of holiness in humanity, which is why again and again, as at the Red Sea when with a strong arm He delivered Israel, God has acted in behalf of His people. In doing so, He is praised as a holy God, because He has acted in complete harmony with the purity of His righteous character. It is this holiness of which we are to be partakers.

“For they [earthly fathers] verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness.” “Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:10, 14.

This helps us to understand some of the passages in the Psalms that are so perplexing to our society. “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” Psalm 5:5.

Is God not a God of love? How, then, can the Scriptures say, “Thou hatest all workers of iniquity”?

God is a God of love, but His holiness involves a righteous hostility against sin and against the seed of the serpent.

Dissemblers

True peace and true love is found only in the new birth and in surrender to Christ. “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.” Psalm 26:4, 5.

Who are dissemblers? They are the people who profess what they really do not have in their heart. These people are going into the congregation of the Lord professing one thing, while their hearts are quite out of harmony with their profession. By their actions, they are seeking to deceive.

Notice, also, the concept of separation from the wicked, which is foundational to the holiness of God. We are to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, and holiness involves complete separation from all evil.

There is a very interesting development brought to view in the parable of the wheat and the tares, as given in Matthew 13. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” Verses 24, 25.

The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that the “tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 70, 71. The enemy that sowed them is the devil. Neither God nor His angels ever sowed a seed that would produce a tare. The tares are always sown by Satan, the enemy of God and man. The sowing of tares in the professed church of Christ is an act of revenge Satan commits against Christ. Jesus pointed it out in this parable so that the true church members could be warned that Satan would sow his tares—infiltrators and destroyers—among the pure wheat seed of Christ.

Surely, this is true of our time, for while we were asleep, a crop of tares has sprung up in the structure. I was at the seminary when there was a great flowering of tares that seemed to suddenly appear. All of them were in harmony in their belief that the Law of God could not be kept.

“The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.” Verses 28, 29.

The Lord has such a regard for our protection that He does not want even one soul to be lost. Because the fabric of life might be involved and some of the wheat might be destroyed in the process of removing the tares, He says, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Verse 30.

Here is demonstrated the separation and unity that comes at the time of the harvest, just before the close of probation.

Later, the disciples came to Jesus seeking for a clearer understanding of the tares. This concept of the tares troubled them. In explaining the parable to them, Jesus clearly delineated along the same parameters that He had in Genesis 3:15.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]. The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” The devil, at work in the professed church, sowed the tares. “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Verses 36–43.

True Church Defined

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. Here is anger, hostility, and warfare.

Once again, at the end of time, we see manifest the hatred that is to exist between the seed of the woman and that of the serpent. The remnant of the seed of the woman is the last in the long line of those who keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. The seed of the serpent, which are the tares, have hostility against the truth of obedience to God’s Law. The devil, working through them, attacks the wheat, seeking to destroy the seed of the woman.

This raises a question. What happens when you have a situation where there gets to be so many tares that they are choking out the good seed?

Jesus was faced with this same problem in His day. When He came we are told that when Jesus came preaching, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel,” He first labored in Judea. Mark 1:15. “If the leaders in Israel had received Christ, He would have honored them as His messengers to carry the gospel to the world. . . . But Israel knew not the time of her visitation.” The Desire of Ages, 231, 232. As the jealousy and distrust of the Jewish leaders ripened into open hatred, the Sanhedrin rejected Christ’s message, and the leaders sought to turn the hearts of the people away from Him. Jesus was dealing with tares that were bent on His death. Therefore, Jesus departed from Jerusalem, leaving behind the temple, the religious leaders, and the people who had been instructed in the law. Instead, He turned to another class, in another field, to proclaim His message and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations.

“As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ’s withdrawal from Judea has been repeated.” Ibid., 232.

But I ask you, Where was the good seed? The tares were not the good seed; they were never the true church. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that Caiaphas had not one ray of light from God. (See Review and Herald, June 12, 1900.) The followers of Christ had no thought of separating themselves from the established church, but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light. Those who bore it were forced to seek another class who were longing for the truth. There were so many tares that they could no longer function in the professed church.

Today, few are listening for the voice of God, ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Too often, those who follow in the steps of the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love in order to declare the plain teaching of God’s Word. They are, however, the wheat, the seed of the woman. They are the church. The tares are not the church of God; they are the servants of the devil. They are the seed of the wicked one who war against the seed of the woman.

And so, this great message that the Lord preached in the Garden of Eden comes ringing down to our day, clearly defining whom the true church really is. It is the remnant of the seed of the woman, those who keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

We must never ever forget this principle, because it is essential to our salvation to understand who the seed of the woman really is. We must know the great cause, to which we are committed, if we are to be prepared to sacrifice our life for it.

Reprinted from LandMarks, September 1993.

Pastor Bob Trefz is dedicated to preparing people for the coming crisis and Jesus’ soon return.

Bible Study Guides – Spiritualism, Evil Angels and Their Work

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November 1, 2003 – November 7, 2003

Memory Verse

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1, 2.

Suggested Reading: Early Writings, 262–266; The Great Controversy, 495–498, 551–562.

Introduction

“None need be deceived by the lying claims of spiritualism. God has given the world sufficient light to enable them to discover the snare. . . . The theory which forms the very foundation of spiritualism is at war with the plainest statements of Scripture. The Bible declares that the dead know not anything, that their thoughts have perished; they have no part in anything that is done under the sun; they know nothing of the joys or sorrows of those who were dearest to them on earth.” The Great Controversy, 556.

1 What falsehood has furnished the foundation for spiritualism? Genesis 3:4.

note: “The deification of the dead has held a prominent place in nearly every system of heathenism, as has also the supposed communion with the dead. The gods were believed to communicate their will to men, and also, when consulted, to give them counsel. Of this character were the famous oracles of Greece and Rome.

“The belief in communion with the dead is still held, even in professedly Christian lands. Under the name of spiritualism the practice of communicating with beings claiming to be the spirits of the departed has become widespread. It is calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Spiritual beings sometimes appear to persons in the form of their deceased friends, and relate incidents connected with their lives and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead men to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them and communicating with them. Those who thus assume to be the spirits of the departed are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the word of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 684, 685.

2 What does the Scripture teach concerning those who are dead? Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.

note: “A correct understanding of ‘what saith the Scriptures’ in regard to the state of the dead is essential for this time. God’s Word declares that the dead know not anything, their hatred and love have alike perished. We must come to the sure word of prophecy for our authority. Unless we are intelligent in the Scriptures, may we not, when this mighty miracle-working power of Satan is manifested in our world, be deceived and call it the workings of God; for the Word of God declares that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. Unless we are rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan’s delusive snares. We must cling to our Bibles. If Satan can make you believe that there are things in the Word of God that are not inspired, he will then be prepared to ensnare your soul. We shall have no assurance, no certainty, at the very time we need to know what is truth.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888.

3 Then by what agency must the wonders of spiritualism be wrought? Revelation 16:14.

note: “Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.” The Great Controversy, 624.

4 In what way do fallen angels receive worship? 1 Corinthians 10:19–21; Psalm 106:37, 38.

note: “The Lord declared to Israel: ‘The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.’ Leviticus 20:6.

“The ‘familiar spirits’ were not the spirits of the dead, but evil angels, the messengers of Satan. Ancient idolatry, which, as we have seen, comprises both worship of the dead and pretended communion with them, is declared by the Bible to have been demon worship. . . . [1 Corinthians 10:20 and Psalm 106:37, 38 quoted.] In their supposed worship of dead men they were in reality worshiping demons.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 685.

5 What is Satan able to do? 11 Corinthians 11:14, 15.

note: “Satan will work in a most subtle manner to introduce human inventions clothed with angel garments. But the light from the Word is shining amid the moral darkness; and the Bible will never be superseded by miraculous manifestations. The truth must be studied, it must be searched for as hidden treasure. Wonderful illuminations will not be given aside from the Word, or to take the place of it. Cling to the Word, receive the ingrafted Word, which will make men wise unto salvation.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 100.

6 What has the Spirit revealed would take place in the last days? 1 Timothy 4:1, 2.

note: “Let the truths that are the foundation of our faith be kept before the people. Some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. They talk science, and the enemy comes in and gives them an abundance of science; but it is not the science of salvation. It is not the science of humility, of consecration, or of the sanctification of the Spirit. We are now to understand what the pillars of our faith are,—the truths that have made us as a people what we are, leading us on step by step.” Review and Herald, May 25, 1905.

7 Against whom are Satan and his angels especially to war? Revelation 12:17. What is the testimony of Jesus? Revelation 19:10.

note: “Those who love and keep the commandments of God are most obnoxious to the synagogue of Satan, and the powers of evil will manifest their hatred toward them to the fullest extent possible. John foresaw the conflict between the remnant church and the power of evil, and said, ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ [Revelation 12:17.]

“The forces of darkness will unite with human agents who have given themselves into the control of Satan, and the same scenes that were exhibited at the trial, rejection, and crucifixion of Christ will be revived. Through yielding to satanic influences, men will be transformed into fiends; and those who were created in the image of God, who were formed to honor and glorify their Creator, will become the habitation of dragons, and Satan will see in an apostate race his masterpiece of evil—men who reflect his own image.” Review and Herald, April 14, 1896.

“Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light.” Colporteur Ministry, 125.

“We have the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. Priceless gems are to be found in the word of God. Those who search this word should keep the mind clear. Never should they indulge perverted appetite in eating or drinking.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 114.

8 To what are the fallen angels reserved? Jude 6; 11 Peter 2:4.

note: “The earth looked like a desolate wilderness. Cities and villages, shaken down by the earthquake, lay in heaps. Mountains had been moved out of their places, leaving large caverns. Ragged rocks, thrown out by the sea, or torn out of the earth itself, were scattered all over its surface. Large trees had been uprooted and were strewn over the land. Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years.” Maranatha, 313.

9 At the time of judgment of the fallen angels, who will take part? 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3.

note: “During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the judgment of the wicked takes place. . . . At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: ‘I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.’ ‘They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.’ Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, ‘the saints shall judge the world.’ 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.

“Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people.” The Faith I Live By, 354.

10 What fate awaits the devil and his angels? Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:7–9.

note: “I entreat that there may be a putting away from the life every action which does not bear the approval of God. We are drawing near to the close of earth’s history; the battle is growing daily more fierce. There is a day appointed when men who have bowed to the mandates of Satan will find themselves the subjects of the wrath of God, when the Judge of all the earth shall pronounce the sentence against Satan and his adherents, ‘Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ [Matthew 25:41.]” Loma Linda Messages, 228.

11 What prophecy will then have been fulfilled? Malachi 4:1.

note: “Then are fulfilled the words of the prophet: ‘The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter.’ Isaiah 34:2. ‘Upon the wicked He shall rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.’ Psalm 11:6, margin. Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that ‘shall burn as an oven.’ Malachi 4:1. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein are burned up. (11 Peter 3:10.) The fire of Tophet is prepared for the king, the chief of rebellion; the pile thereof is deep and large, and ‘the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.’ Isaiah 30:33. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—‘the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.’ Isaiah 34: 8.” The Story of Redemption, 428, 429.

12 What shall not arise the second time? Nahum 1:9.

note: “The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our only hope is perfect trust in the blood of Him who can save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary is our only hope in this world, and it will be our theme in the world to come. Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it. The gift of God in His beloved Son was the expression of an incomprehensible love. It was the utmost that God could do to preserve the honor of His law, and still save the transgressor. Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind. If men would contemplate the love of Christ, displayed in the cross, their faith would be strengthened to appropriate the merits of His shed blood, and they would be cleansed and saved from sin.” The Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889.

These lessons are adapted from the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, April 1912.

Surrender, Part I

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We need to look at our sin problem and ourselves from a new perspective. When it comes to righteousness, we are nothing but in the way! And yet, we are to seek for it: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. We are told to seek for God’s righteousness, but in reality, it is He who seeks us, and we respond to His seeking, as we are told in Romans 3:11: “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

Verse 12 continues, “They are all gone out of the way . . . .” We have all gone out of the way to ignore God and His authority. We want our own authority; we want to do our own thing. The fact is that we, like Eve, want to be our own gods. Oh, we want God to feed us, clothe us, protect us, and take care of us, but we do not want Him to tell us what to do, unless what He tells us is in agreement with what we think or with what we want to do.

Deep down inside, we desire to be our own gods, to call our own shots, to do our own thing, to have our own kingdoms.

The word kingdom comes from two words—king and dominion. A kingdom is a place where one king has total and complete control and authority. We want to have our own kingdoms. We want to be our own authority.

The temptation to be our own god appeals to the unfallen as well as the fallen. When it appealed to Eve, she was in an unfallen state. Before her, it appealed to an unfallen angel, the highest of all the angels, the one closest to the throne of God. A desire arose in Lucifer’s heart to have his own authority, to call his own shots, to be his own king, his own god.

Problem of Pride

Isaiah 14:12–15 gives the reason for Lucifer’s fall: “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.” Lucifer wanted his freedom. He did not want to be under God’s authority. He wanted to establish his own authority.

Pride was the problem. Pride turned an angel into the devil. Ellen White wrote: “There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 154. “Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.

Pride is an overly high opinion of one’s self, and it leads to rebellion. We need to ask ourselves, How are we doing with pride? Pride is a very dangerous sin—the most dangerous and incurable, we are told. We do not have to have a fallen nature for it to arise, and the reason this is important to us is because it can happen after we have been converted. This is why conversion is not a one time event. It is a daily, moment-by-moment experience.

Satan Spreads the Misery

Lucifer, or Satan, sold his idea to a third of the angels, and they were all cast out of the kingdom of God to this earth, where Satan went about setting up his kingdom. He well knew the power of pride, since he had already fallen for it, so that is the tool he used. He went to the ones who had been created in the very image of God, who, if they had stayed on track, would have become more and more like God throughout eternity. He convinced them that if they would come out from under God’s authority, and develop their own authority, they would become like God.

The bottom line of the lie he told them was, “Come out from under God’s authority, and you will gain status, you will gain knowledge, you will gain authority, you will gain freedom.” As one preacher has said, “As long as a train stays on those twin ribbons of steel, it has a lot more freedom than what we call a ‘free train.’ When a train jumps the tracks and takes off across the meadow, it is free all right, but it is only free to crash.”

The enticement was, “Adam and Eve, come out from under God’s authority and get your own authority.” But the truth was that they already had authority. We are told in Genesis 1 that they were given dominion—in other words, authority and jurisdiction—over the whole world, over the fish, the fowls, and the beasts of the field. Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, [even] the heavens, [are] the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men,” and in Psalm 8:4–6, we read, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet.”

Through trickery, though, Satan deceptively snatched that dominion away from them. Adam and Eve had been given authority, as mentioned previously, over all things on earth, and if they had exercised their authority, they probably could have ordered the serpent out of the garden. Adam had been placed in the garden to keep it, to protect it. It was in his possession. He was to take care of it; he was to guard it, but instead, he lost it and the whole world with it to the devil.

How Could This Happen?

How could this happen? First, in spite of being warned to the contrary, Adam allowed Eve to wander away from his side. “The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 53. Alone, Eve became deceived, and then she became Satan’s evangelist. Adam was her first convert. As a result of their actions, they both entered into slavery.

Romans 6:16 says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The Greek word doulos, which is here translated servant, properly signifies slave. So Adam and Eve became slaves to Satan, and the slave owner owns what the slave owns. This is how Satan gained Adam and Eve’s possessions, how he took this world under his dominion.

Adam and Eve yielded their dominion and their authority, and this is why, when Christ came 4,000 years later, Satan could offer the world to Him. “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” Luke 4:5, 6. The Greek word exousia, translated power, means “authority or jursdiction.”

As long as Adam and Eve were under God’s authority, they had power or authority. As soon as they tried to get more authority, by coming out from under God’s authority, they lost all authority, even over their own wills.

Rebellion of Sin

Every single sin, no matter how big or how little we think it is, is rebellion against God’s authority. This is the underlying issue. Sinning says, “I want to be my own god.” As it says in the parable in Luke 19:14, “We will not have this [man] to reign over us.” This is what we are saying when we sin. We are telling God, “I want to be my own king, and I want my own kingdom. I do not want You to be King over me.” We certainly would not say those words to Him directly, but our actions are actually saying it. Do you see why there is no such thing as a little sin?

“He who willfully breaks one commandment, does not, in spirit and truth, keep any of them. ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’ James 2:10.

“It is not the greatness of the act of disobedience that constitutes sin, but the fact of variance from God’s expressed will in the least particular; for this shows that there is yet communion between the soul and sin. The heart is divided in its service. There is a virtual denial of God, a rebellion against the laws of His government.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 51.

For what many would consider one little sin, Adam and Eve lost their noble place of authority and joy and communion with God, and they were placed in the position of bondage and fear and servitude to a new master.

Either/Or

A man had legally lost the world’s dominion, and it had to be legally reclaimed by a man. The second Adam had to come and redeem what the first Adam lost. The whole history of humanity boils down to those two men. We are either in Adam or we are in Christ. We are either in the flesh or we are in the Spirit. If we choose to be in Christ, then we can experience Christ’s victory. If we choose to stay in Adam, then we stay in Adam’s bondage.

The question is, How do we make the switch? We are all born into Adam. We have all inherited his nature, and his tendency to rebellion. The only way out is to be reborn into Christ.

We read, in 1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.” When we are born again, we are born to win.

Christ Conquered

Christ defeated Satan when He was in the wilderness of temptation, on the same ground, with the same test on which Adam fell. How did Christ win the victory? He did not do it by pulling rank. He did not do it by using power that He brought with Him from heaven. He did not do it by being God. He did it by being a man, totally and completely dependent upon and surrendered to God. His weapons were the Spirit of God and the Word of God. With these weapons, He conquered. Adam could have done this. We can do the same thing.

Because of Christ’s victory, authority again changed hands. Christ’s followers no longer have to remain in bondage to the world, to the flesh, and to the devil. The sad part is that most people do not know this. Many Christians do not realize this. Most have probably heard it or read it, but they either do not believe it, because the news seems too good to be true, or, like many throughout history, they believe the truth that we can be free, but they do not know the truth about how to be free. They do not have a clue.

People do not know how to be victorious because they do not learn from God. God tells us how, but a majority of people has been trying a failed plan. This faulty plan did not work the first time somebody tried it, and it will not work today, but many of us keep trying it anyway.

You know, the definition of insanity is to keep trying the same thing over and over, expecting different results. We have been in this state of insanity for about 6,000 years, and God wants us to come out of it. He has tried desperately to teach us another way.

In 1888, God tried to teach the way, but it apparently appeared to be too simple and too humbling to self, so that way has been repeatedly rejected. It is still the only way. Whether we accept it or reject it, it is still the only way. We need to look at the way; we need to humble ourselves to receive it. God wants us to come back under His plan and under His authority. He wants us to take back some of the lost dominion. We would not get it all back right now; we would not have dominion over the animals, for example, but we could have dominion over the flesh and the devil, in the area of temptation. This is what we need. We can have victory!

Not Over Until Under

One thing is certain. We will never be over the things that God wants under us until we get under the things that God sets over us. We must learn to submit to Him. Do you know that there is a large number of Christians who are very committed to the truth and the cause of God, but they are not submitted to the God of the truth and the cause?

Romans 8:37 tells us that we can be more than conquerors through Christ.

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17. So, by one man’s offence—Adam’s—death reigned, but if we are no longer in Adam but in Christ, then we reign over the world, the flesh, and the devil. But we will never be over until we are under.

A Biblical Example

The centurion understood this concept very well. In Matthew 8:5–10 is the story of a centurion who came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant. Jesus said, “Yes, I will come and do it.”

But the centurion said, “No, You do not need to come to my place of dwelling. Just speak the word only, and my servant will be healed.” And the centurion began to explain to Jesus, “I know how this works, because I am a man under authority.” The centurion understood. “The only reason I have authority over 100 Roman soldiers is because I am under the authority of the Roman Government.” And he understood that Christ had authority over evil and sickness and death because He was under the authority of His Father. He was over because He was under.

Not of Ourselves

In John 5:30, Jesus makes this very clear: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

Jesus sent out 70 disciples as lambs among wolves. Their experience is recorded in Luke 10:17: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” How could they have that kind of power? Verse 16 says, “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

Do you see the chain of command? There is the Father over Jesus and Jesus over the 70, and the 70 over the devil. It is an authority thing.

Verse 18 says, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Well, He not only beheld it, but He was the One who cast him out. In verse 19, it says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The first power in this text is translated from the Greek word exousia meaning “authority.” The second power is translated from dunamis, which is actually referring to “strength.” In other words, “Behold, I give unto you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the strength of the enemy [Satan].”

Authority vs. Power

Authority is a lot better than power. You can have power and have no authority, but when you have authority, you have more than power. You know, when a little skinny police officer holds up his hand and blows his whistle in front of an eighteen-wheeler truck and that eighteen-wheeler comes to a stop, is it because of that little policeman’s power to stop it? No, it could have just run right over him. It is all about authority. The policeman represents authority, and that is why the truck stops. He is under, so he is over.

The devil has power, but he has no authority. Apostasy has no authority, except what men will allow it to have. You may usurp some authority on your own, and people who do not know any better may submit to it, but it will not last long. Someday your little kingdom will come down around you. To have real authority, you must be under real authority.

The devil recognizes whether or not you have authority. He is not fooled. Acts 19:13–16 says, “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of [one] Sceva, a Jew, [and] chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

These exorcists were fortunate. The name of Jesus is not a magical charm, and if we are not surrendered to Jesus, the devil knows it. I say that these exorcists were fortunate because he let them know right away that they did not have any authority. We may not like the way they found out, but it is a good thing that they did find out right then and there. Most of the time the devil is smarter than that, and he does not let us know right away. He plays games with us, and we could end up like the group in Matthew 7:21–23 that comes to the end of time and says, “Lord, Lord, look at all these things we did in Your name. We prophesied; we even cast out devils,” but Christ says, “I never knew you.” It was not Christ who helped them cast out the devils. Who helped them cast out the devils? It was the devil; he was playing a game with them. They did not have any authority over him, but he did not let them know that.

Committed but not Submitted

There are very many who are committed, but they are not submitted. They are committed to the truth, but they are not submitted to God. They are not surrendered. The foolish virgins of Matthew 25 are an example.

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” Verses 1–8.

You know the rest of the story. The door was shut. The five foolish virgins did not make it inside. All ten were virgins—symbolic of a pure religion and a pure doctrine—and they carried lamps.

“Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. They had the Word of God, and they were not scoffers. They were waiting for the bridegroom to come. Was sleeping the problem? No, all ten slept, both the wise and the foolish, so that was not the problem.

“The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves [they are never surrendered; they have never submitted] to the Holy Spirit’s working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up. This class are represented also by the stony-ground hearers. They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influence is not abiding. The Spirit works upon man’s heart, according to his desire and consent implanting in him a new nature; but the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 411.

Surrender

So, commitment without surrender can be very dangerous. In fact, it can be downright scary. The word commitment really did not come into large usage among English-speaking Christians until the 1960s. Whenever a word gains popularity, it usually pushes out another word, and in the 1960s, the word commitment pushed out the word surrender. Christians used to talk about being surrendered; now we talk about being committed.

Dangers

As a Bible worker, I am becoming concerned about this, because at the end of a Bible study, I always want a commitment, but I am starting to rethink this. We need to get people to surrender; commitment is not enough. If they have commitment without surrender, we well know the results. We see people come into truth and then fall away.

In 1 Corinthians 13:3, it talks about a people that are so committed to the truth and the cause of God that they are willing to become martyrs for Him. It says that they are willing to give their bodies to be burned. That is commitment! Yet, they are still not saved.

Others become committed but not surrendered, and, eventually, they become discouraged, because they see they are not progressing. If they are honest with themselves, they know that their hearts have not changed; they are still rotten inside; they are just going through the outward motions. They are putting on a show. They usually end up becoming liberal, or what we call antinomians, and they come up with new theologies such as, we do not have to keep God’s Law, because we cannot keep it.

So, you see that commitment without surrender is very dangerous. Commitment without surrender can make us very sincere, legalistic, Pharisaical zealots, but it will never change our hearts. There is no joy in that kind of religion. It may puff up the flesh, but it will never make us Christlike Christians.

Many people are fighting a very worthy battle, but they are fighting it at the wrong time, with the wrong tools, and in the wrong way. When we fight the battle without first surrendering, then we are doing all those things. We can fight all we want, for all we are worth, but we are still going to lose. So why are we so reluctant to surrender?

Hardest Thing To Do

Surrendering seems to be the hardest thing in the world to do. One reason is fear. We are afraid of what God is going to do with us and what He is going to ask of us, if we fully surrender. That just shows that we really do not know Him. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to be blessed by Him. The key is knowing Him. What is He like? What is His character like? How does He think and feel?

We will never know the answers to these questions if we are not spending time with Him each day. If we are not doing this, then we do not stand a chance. But as we spend time with Him each day, getting to know Him and to trust Him, a safe environment will develop in which to surrender.

To be continued . . .

Steve Currey is a Bible worker for Steps to Life. He may be contacted by e-mail at: stevecurrey@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Bible Study Guides – To Whom do Man and All His Possessions Belong? Part I

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April 2, 2006 – April 8, 2006

Key Text

“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright . . . .” Ecclesiastes 7:29.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 1, 341–345.

Introduction

“Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between the Prince of light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After tempting man to sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and styled himself the prince of this world. Having conformed to his own nature the father and mother of our race, he thought to establish here his empire. He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign. Through his control of men, he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from his power would be set free. The dominion that Adam had lost through sin would be recovered.” The Desire of Ages, 114.

1 What was man’s nature before he sinned? Ecclesiastes 7:29. Compare Genesis 1:27; 3:6, 7.

note: “God made man upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no bias toward evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers, and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition he was to have access to the tree of life.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49.

“God made man upright, perfectly holy and happy; but he lost the divine favor and destroyed his own happiness by disobedience to the Father’s law. The sin of Adam plunged the race in hopeless misery and despair. But God, in His wonderful, pitying love, did not leave men to perish in their hopeless, fallen condition. He gave His well-beloved Son for their salvation. Christ entered the world, His divinity clothed in humanity; He passed over the ground where Adam fell; He bore the test which Adam failed to endure; He overcame every temptation of Satan, and thus redeemed Adam’s disgraceful failure and fall.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 293.

2 What relation did man sustain to God’s creation? Psalm 8:5–8; Genesis 1:26.

note: “Adam was crowned king in Eden. To him was given dominion over every living thing that God had created. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve with intelligence such as He had not given to any other creature. He made Adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of His hands. Man, made in the divine image, could contemplate and appreciate the glorious works of God in nature.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1082.

“After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all that his eye could behold.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 44.

3 How did man lose this dominion? Genesis 3:6, 17–19, 23.

note: “It was not the will of God that the sinless pair [Adam and Eve] should know aught of evil. He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it—they would have the knowledge of evil—all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.

“Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and results of rebellion against God. When God made man He made him ruler over the earth and all living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule. Thus the Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead them, by their own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even in the slightest degree.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 59, 60.

“When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the world are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what was true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of deception. Satan’s dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God’s, and He has committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan’s hands, Christ still remained the rightful King. Thus the Lord had said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.’ Daniel 4:17. Satan can exercise his usurped authority only as God permits.” The Desire of Ages, 129, 130.

4 Who was affected by Adam’s fall? Romans 5:12.

note: “In consequence of Adam’s sin, death passed upon the whole human race. All alike go down into the grave. And through the provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth from their graves.” The Great Controversy, 544.

“Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost, and that world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die.” Early Writings, 149.

5 Who is the author of sin? Genesis 3:13. (See Revelation 12:9; 20:2.)

note: “Evil originated with Lucifer, who rebelled against the government of God. Before his fall he was a covering cherub, distinguished by his excellence. God made him good and beautiful, as near as possible like Himself.” Review and Herald, September 24, 1901.

“There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, ‘son of the morning,’ [Isaiah 14:12] was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. He stood in the presence of the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glory enshrouding the eternal God rested upon him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

6 In what manner did man come under the control of Satan? 11 Peter 2:19. Compare Romans 6:16.

note: “Not only man but the earth had by sin come under the power of the wicked one, and was to be restored by the plan of redemption. At his creation Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan. [11 Peter 2:19 quoted.] When man became Satan’s captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became ‘the god of this world.’ 11 Corinthians 4:4. He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been originally given to Adam.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 67.

“Very many who profess to be servants of Christ are none of His. They are deceiving their souls to their own destruction. While they profess to be servants of Christ, they are not living in obedience to His will. [Romans 6:16 quoted.] Many, while professing to be servants of Christ, are obeying another master, working daily against the Master whom they profess to serve. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ [Matthew 6:24.]” Testimonies, vol. 2, 442.

7 What relation does man now naturally sustain to sin? Romans 7:14.

note: “It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God, to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness, of His character. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love. Paul the apostle saw all this when he exclaimed, ‘I consent unto the law that it is good.’ ‘The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.’ But he added, in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair, ‘I am carnal, sold under sin.’ Romans 7:16, 12, 14. He longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out, ‘O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?’ Romans 7:24, margin.” Steps to Christ, 19.

“The Christian life is a battle and a march. In this warfare there is no release; the effort must be continuous and persevering. It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. Christian integrity must be sought with resistless energy and maintained with a resolute fixedness of purpose.” The Ministry of Healing, 453.

8 Of whom are those who sin? 1 John 3:8.

note: “God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ [Matthew 5:48.] This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.

“The tempter’s agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.” The Desire of Ages, 311.

9 How does the apostle describe the world in its present state? 1 John 5:19.

note: “The whole world lieth in darkness. Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, and the Lord calls upon the members of the church to labor together with Him in awakening the world, if possible, to their peril. We cannot do this of ourselves. We must derive our efficiency from Christ. Jesus says, ‘I, if I be lifted up, will draw all unto me.’ [John 12:32.] Here is the secret of power, of effectiveness; for though human instrumentalities are employed in the work of salvation, it is the light shining from the uplifted cross that alone can attract hearts heavenward. We must present the truth as it is in Jesus. The light and power of an indwelling Saviour must be ours, or we cannot draw others to Him. We must be imbued with the spirit of truth, the spirit of Christ. There is no power in humanity to draw humanity to Christ. We are as iron that cannot attract unless it be magnetized. We must be sanctified through the truth if we would have a sanctifying influence upon others. Jesus says, ‘Thy word is truth.’ [John 17:17.] It is through a sanctified knowledge of the word of God that we shall be able to overcome the powers of darkness and win souls for the Master.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 2, 805.

10 Who is the acknowledged ruler of this world? Ephesians 2:2.

note: “Fallen man is Satan’s lawful captive. . . .

“Satan will go to the extent of his power to harass, tempt, and mislead God’s people. He who dared to face, and tempt, and taunt our Lord, and who had power to take Him in his arms and carry Him to a pinnacle of the temple, and up into an exceedingly high mountain, will exercise his power to a wonderful degree upon the present generation, who are far inferior in wisdom to their Lord, and who are almost wholly ignorant of Satan’s subtlety and strength.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 341, 342.

11 What titles do this acknowledged ruler bear? John 12:31; 11 Corinthians 4:4.

note: “Those who take their position on the side of Christ are to let their light shine forth in good works, and not to act selfishly; but each church is to consider the wants of her sister churches. ‘Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.’ [11 Corinthians 8:7.] We desire you to abound in the grace of liberality, making your gifts to assist those who have newly come to the faith, and in doing this work your joy will be abundant, according to the measure of your liberality. We call upon the children of God to come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Who is the mighty?—It is Satan, the prince of this world, for the world has chosen him as its ruler.” Review and Herald, September 4, 1894.

Bible Study Guides – The Government of Heaven

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December 31, 2006 – January 6, 2007

Key Text

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 33–43.

Introduction

“The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

1 What characteristic is unique to the Godhead? Psalm 33:6, 9. How—and by Whom—were all things in the universe created? John 1:1–3.

note: “The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. . . .

“The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. ‘By Him were all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.’ Colossians 1:16. Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. But the Son, the anointed of God, the ‘express image of His person,’ ‘the brightness of His glory,’ ‘upholding all things by the word of His power,’ holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

2 What does Inspiration reveal about the throne of God? Jeremiah 17:12. How does this relate to the Son of God? Hebrews 1:8.

note: “The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. . . . The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

3 What are some of the fundamental characteristics of the government of Heaven? Psalm 89:14; 1 John 4:16.

note: “The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

4 What characterized the relationship between the entire host of heavenly creatures and their beneficent Creator? Psalm 103:20, 21.

note: “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.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

5 What ambition was nourished by Lucifer, the highest created being? Ezekiel 28:12–15.

note: “There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. . . .

“Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. . . . Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

6 What was the real cause of Lucifer’s dissatisfaction? Proverbs 13:10; Psalm 10:4.

note: “Not content with his position, though honored 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 allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor 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 to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

7 How did Heaven’s reasoning with Lucifer exemplify God’s tender appeals to His erring creatures throughout all ages? Isaiah 1:18–20. What was Lucifer’s attitude?

note: “In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

8 In sharp contrast to God’s methods, what techniques did Lucifer use to subtly dissuade many angels from their trustful allegiance to God? Psalm 55:21.

note: “Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, 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. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 37.

“While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the 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.” Ibid., 38.

9 Trace the final stages of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) rebellion in heaven. Revelation 12:7–9.

note: “He [Satan] nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him. It was too great a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to confess that he had been in error.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 39.

“Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, and exclaimed, ‘These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?’ He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength.” The Story of Redemption, 18.

“Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven.” Ibid., 19.

10 How is Satan’s fall summarized? Isaiah 14:12–15. Why did the Lord not immediately destroy Satan? Ezekiel 28:17, 19.

note: “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 consequences of sin, 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 and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 42.

The Fall of Lucifer

“Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone.

“The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.

“Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him. He thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?

“He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied and filled with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes, he assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called them together to assure them that he no longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that never would he again bow down to Christ; that he would take the honor upon himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice.

“There was contention among the angels. Lucifer and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They were discontented and unhappy because they could not look into His unsearchable wisdom and ascertain His purposes in exalting His Son, and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the Son.

“Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned; and that He had given no commands but what it was joy for the heavenly host to execute. They urged that Christ’s receiving special honor from the Father, in the presence of the angels, did not detract from the honor that Lucifer had heretofore received. The angels wept. They anxiously sought to move him to renounce his wicked design and yield submission to their Creator; for all had heretofore been peace and harmony, and what could occasion this dissenting, rebellious voice?

“Lucifer refused to listen. And then he turned from the loyal and true angels, denouncing them as slaves. These angels, true to God, stood in amazement as they saw that Lucifer was successful in his effort to incite rebellion. He promised them a new and better government than they then had, in which all would be freedom. Great numbers signified their purpose to accept him as their leader and chief commander. As he saw his advances were met with success, he flattered himself that he should yet have all the angels on his side, and that he would be equal with God Himself, and his voice of authority would be heard in commanding the entire host of heaven. Again the loyal angels warned him, and assured him what must be the consequences if he persisted; that He who could create the angels could by His power overturn all their authority and in some signal manner punish their audacity and terrible rebellion. To think that an angel should resist the law of God which was as sacred as Himself! They warned the rebellious to close their ears to Lucifer’s deceptive reasonings, and advised him and all who had been affected by him to go to God and confess their wrong for even admitting a thought of questioning His authority.

“Many of Lucifer’s sympathizers were inclined to heed the counsel of the loyal angels and repent of their dissatisfaction and be again received to the confidence of the Father and His dear Son. The mighty revolter then declared that he was acquainted with God’s law, and if he should submit to servile obedience, his honor would be taken from him. No more would he be intrusted [sic] with his exalted mission. He told them that himself and they also had now gone too far to go back, and he would brave the consequences, for to bow in servile worship to the Son of God he never would; that God would not forgive, and now they must assert their liberty and gain by force the position and authority which was not willingly accorded to them. [“Thus it was that Lucifer, ‘the light-bearer,’ the sharer of God’s glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, ‘the adversary.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 40.]

“The loyal angels hastened speedily to the Son of God and acquainted Him with what was taking place among the angels. They found the Father in conference with His beloved Son, to determine the means by which, for the best good of the loyal angels, the assumed authority of Satan could be forever put down. The great God could at once have hurled this archdeceiver from heaven; but this was not His purpose. He would give the rebellious an equal chance to measure strength and might with His own Son and His loyal angels. In this battle every angel would choose his own side and be manifested to all. It would not have been safe to suffer any who united with Satan in his rebellion to continue to occupy heaven. They had learned the lesson of genuine rebellion against the unchangeable law of God, and this is incurable. If God had exercised His power to punish this chief rebel, disaffected angels would not have been manifested; hence, God took another course, for He would manifest distinctly to all the heavenly host His justice and His judgment.

War in Heaven

“It was the highest crime to rebel against the government of God. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels were marshaled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head. Satan was warring against the law of God, because ambitious to exalt himself and unwilling to submit to the authority of God’s Son, heaven’s great commander.

“All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father, to have each case determined. Satan unblushingly made known his dissatisfaction that Christ should be preferred before Him. He stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes. God informed Satan, that to His Son alone He would reveal His secret purposes, and He required all the family in heaven, even Satan, to yield Him implicit, unquestioned obedience; but that he (Satan) had proved himself unworthy of a place in heaven. Then Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, and exclaimed, ‘These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?’ He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength.

“Good angels wept to hear the words of Satan and his exulting boasts. God declared that the rebellious should remain in heaven no longer. Their high and happy state had been held upon condition of obedience to the law which God had given to govern the high order of intelligences. But no provision had been made to save those who should venture to transgress His law. Satan grew bold in his rebellion, and expressed his contempt of the Creator’s law. This Satan could not bear. He claimed that angels needed no law but should be left free to follow their own will, which would ever guide them right; that law was a restriction of their liberty; and that to abolish law was one great object of his standing as he did. The condition of the angels, he thought, needed improvement. Not so the mind of God, who had made laws and exalted them equal to Himself. The happiness of the angelic host consisted in their perfect obedience to law. Each had his special work assigned him, and until Satan rebelled, there had been perfect order and harmonious action in heaven.

“Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven. All the heavenly host acknowledged and adored the God of justice. Not a taint of rebellion was left in heaven. All was again peaceful and harmonious as before. Angels in heaven mourned the fate of those who had been their companions in happiness and bliss. Their loss was felt in heaven.

“The Father consulted His Son in regard to at once carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth. He would place man upon probation to test his loyalty before he could be rendered eternally secure. If he endured the test wherewith God saw fit to prove him, he should eventually be equal with the angels. He was to have the favor of God, and he was to converse with angels, and they with him. He did not see fit to place them beyond the power of disobedience.” The Story of Redemption, 13–19.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke Virginia, 2003.

Question & Answer: Why didn’t God just destroy Satan?

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God is bound by justice. If God had destroyed the one who accused Him, Lucifer’s argument against Him could have been strengthened. The angels could have been suspicious thinking Lucifer may know something that God was trying to cover up. Fairness would dictate all of God’s actions.

“Even when it was decided that he could no longer remain in heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since the service of love can alone 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 other worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice and mercy of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted from existence, they 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. Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be 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 and terrible results of sin. 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 and His law 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 intelligences, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin and suffering its punishments.” The Great Controversy, 498, 499.

“In the contest between Christ and Satan, during the Saviour’s earthly ministry, the character of the great deceiver was unmasked. Nothing could so effectually have uprooted Satan from the affections of the heavenly angels and the whole loyal universe as did his cruel warfare upon the world’s Redeemer.” Ibid., 501.

The Prince of the Power of the Air

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When Lucifer, or Satan, as he is now called, was cast out, he realized that he had lost heaven forever. His nature was now changed completely, and his heart was filled with anger and hatred toward the entire government of God. His history shows that from that time his motto was, in the language of Milton, “Evil, be thou my good.” His change of name indicates his change of character. Lucifer means light-bearer. The word devil means the opposite—darkness. He is now the prince of darkness.

Revenge now filled that heart where once the love of God abode, and all his powers were exerted against God and His work. Every artful device of Satan and the evil angels has since been used to lead men to follow them in sin and rebellion against God.

It is well for man to know the strength of the foe he has to meet. Satan and his angels have on earth the same wisdom, and much of the power, which they had in heaven before their fall. To this is added six thousand years’ experience in their terrible work.

In heaven Satan’s influence was so great as to deceive and lead into rebellion a vast number of the holy angels. If his influence in the very courts of heaven was so great, can we not readily understand how it is possible for him to lead mankind astray?

With such power and influence as he has at his command, we can never overcome Satan in our own strength. If we let go our hold upon God, we step onto the enemy’s ground, and he will always be there to meet us. Under such conditions we are sure to be “taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

But we need not be overcome by the enemy. Christ has twice conquered this foe—once in the battle in heaven, when Satan was cast out; and again as a man on earth when He met all his temptations, and came off victorious. Hence Satan is to Christ a conquered foe. If we trust our Lord fully, He will give us strength in every hour of need, and thus we may become “more than conquerors through Him that loves us” (Romans 8:37).

Not only does Satan seek to draw man away from his allegiance to God, but he uses also the elements of the earth, sea, and sky to work his destruction.

Paul calls Satan “The prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The name is well applied; for it is he who causes the terrible cyclones, the tidal waves, and other awful disasters. Only the restraining hand of God prevents him from bringing devastation to the whole world, more awful than has yet been known.

The experience of Job, as recorded in the first chapter of that book, is evidence that Satan controls, not only the hearts and actions of wicked men, but also, as far as permitted, the very elements. When God allowed him to afflict Job, four great calamities came upon him in such quick succession that one bearer of evil tidings could not finish his report before another was waiting with his account of disaster. They were as follows:

First, a band of Sabeans fell upon the servants who were plowing, and slew them, and took away the oxen, and the asses that were feeding beside them. It was Satan who stirred up these wicked men to do this deed.

Second, fire from above burned up the sheep as they were feeding, as well as the servants who were caring for them. This storm of fire was brought down by Satan for the purpose of causing this very destruction.

The text reads, “The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them” (Job 1:16). This was the language of the messenger, giving an account of the disaster as he understood it. By a reading of the twelfth verse we can not avoid the conclusion that these calamities were not sent by God, but were the means the Lord permitted Satan to use in his effort to destroy the integrity of Job.

Third, three bands of Chaldeans fell upon the camels, and carried them away, and slew the servants who were keeping them. These Chaldeans were idolaters, hence were servants of Satan, and were led and influenced by him in this raid upon the property of Job.

Fourth, a wind from the wilderness smote the house where the sons and daughters of Job were eating and drinking and killed them all. This awful bereavement was the last of the four great calamities brought upon him at this time. In this instance the winds obeyed the will of Satan, so justifying the statement made by Paul, that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.”

Awful disasters and terrible calamities are abroad in the earth to-day. As wickedness is increasing in the land, God is removing His restraining power, and Satan is having a freer hand to do the work in which he delights.

Satan is a hard master, for he takes pleasure in bringing disaster and suffering and misery upon even his own subjects. This is in sharp contrast with the loving, tender care which God delights to manifest toward His people. When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, and that land was afflicted because of the hardness of the heart of the Egyptian king, God preserved His people; the plagues did not come near them, and there was peace in their homes in the land of Goshen.

As we near the close of probation, a short time before Christ comes, awful plagues will be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth, of which the plagues upon Egypt were only a shadowy type. (See Revelation 16.) These plagues will be visited upon those who have stubbornly refused the offers of God’s mercy. The prophet Daniel speaks of this as “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1).

But during this time God will protect His people as He did Israel in Egypt. Daniel 12:1 reads further, “At that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” And David says of the righteous in this time, “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. … There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:8, 10). God’s care is ever over His people for good, for He loves them, and they are to Him as “the apple of His eye.”

As we near the end, Satan will become more and more active in bringing disaster upon the world. The apostle-prophet John says of this time, “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” (Revelation 12:12).

As the coming of Christ draws near, the deceptions of Satan will increase in power, and become more startling and convincing. Christ said that “great signs and wonders” shall be shown; “insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). It is only by being firmly and thoroughly grounded in the Word that we shall be able to detect those deceptions, and be saved from their evil consequences.

The “working of Satan” is to be “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish” (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10).

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven [the atmospheric heavens, which surround this earth] on the earth in the sight of men” (Revelation 13:13).

Satan brought fire from heaven, and burned the flocks of Job for the purpose of destroying his confidence in God. In the latter days he will repeat such miracles for the purpose of establishing confidence in himself.

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do” (Revelation 13:14). Christ pointed to His miracles as evidences of His divinity. (See John 10:38; 14:11). Satan ever seeks to counterfeit the work of God. In the last days he will support the claims of his apostate church by the evidence of miracles.

In the last days “the spirits of devils” are to “work miracles,” and “go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14).

In Hebrews 2:14, we learn that the devil has “the power of death.” This is true, because sin brought death, and Satan is the author of sin. He claims all who die as his own. Death is not a friend, but a deadly foe. Paul says, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death is the child of sin, and Satan is its father. Only the power of God can bring the dead from “the land of the enemy,” at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:22–26).

But some glad day sin and death and Satan will be destroyed together. Paul declared that Christ, by His death, opened the way by which He “might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

The Lord, speaking of Satan through the prophet Ezekiel, says, “Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee … and never shall thou be any more” (Ezekiel 28:18, 19).

[All emphasis author’s.]

Past, Present, and Future, James Edson White, 103–109.

Question & Answer – Why did God put enmity between the serpent and humanity?

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The true deceptive character of Satan had to be fully revealed before evil could be eradicated. The first example of his enmity was between Cain and Abel recorded in Genesis 3:15.

“The murder of Abel was the first example of the enmity that God had declared would exist between the serpent and the seed of the woman—between Satan and his subjects and Christ and His followers. Through man’s sin, Satan had gained control of the human race, but Christ would enable them to cast off his yoke. Whenever, through faith in the Lamb of God, a soul renounces the service of sin, Satan’s wrath is kindled. The holy life of Abel testified against Satan’s claim that it is impossible for man to keep God’s law. When Cain, moved by the spirit of the wicked one, saw that he could not control Abel, he was so enraged that he destroyed his life. And wherever there are any who will stand in vindication of the righteousness of the law of God, the same spirit will be manifested against them. It is the spirit that through all the ages has set up the stake and kindled the burning pile for the disciples of Christ. But the cruelties heaped upon the follower of Jesus are instigated by Satan and his hosts because they cannot force him to submit to their control. It is the rage of a vanquished foe. Every martyr of Jesus has died a conqueror. Says the prophet, ‘They overcame him [“that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan”] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’ (Revelation 12:11, 9).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 77.

“Notwithstanding that Cain had by his crimes merited the sentence of death, a merciful Creator still spared his life, and granted him opportunity for repentance. But Cain lived only to harden his heart, to encourage rebellion against the divine authority, and to become the head of a line of bold, abandoned sinners. This one apostate, led on by Satan, became a tempter to others; and his example and influence exerted their demoralizing power, until the earth became so corrupt and filled with violence as to call for its destruction.” Ibid., 78.

“In sparing the life of the first murderer, God presented before the whole universe a lesson bearing upon the great controversy. … Fifteen centuries after the sentence pronounced upon Cain, the universe witnessed the fruition of his influence and example, in the crime and pollution that flooded the earth. It was made manifest that the sentence of death pronounced upon the fallen race for the transgression of God’s law was both just and merciful. The longer men lived in sin, the more abandoned they became. The divine sentence cutting short a career of unbridled iniquity, and freeing the world from the influence of those who had become hardened in rebellion, was a blessing rather than a curse.” Ibid., 78.