Now it was one of these glorious creatures, who sinned. It was one of these bright cherubim, "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty," who stood close to the throne of God with outstretched, covering wings covering the mercy-seat, upon whom rested "the ceaseless beams of glory enshrouding the eternal God,"--it was one of these exalted ones who forgot his place as creature, and aspired to be equal with God the Creator.
This is not to say that it was one of the four-faced ones: for as the references given show, there are many other cherubim besides those four. But it was one who stood in the company with these about the throne, the ark of testimony and the mercy-seat, shadowing the mercy-seat with his outstretched glorious wings.
Again we quote,
"You are the anointed cherub [a cherub with outspread covering wings] that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you." (Ezekiel 28:14-15)
But what caused iniquity to appear in one of these? What was the origin of his ambition to be equal with God? Here is the answer:
"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness." (Ezekiel 28:17)
Being "perfect in beauty" he looked at himself instead of to Him who gave him this perfect beauty; and began to contemplate himself, and to admire himself.
Then, as the consequence, he grew proud of himself, and began to think that the place which he occupied was too nar row for the proper, profitable, and full display of the ability which he now gave himself the credit of possessing. He con cluded that the place which he occupied was not fully worthy of the dignity which now in his own estimation merged in him.
True, he did have the perfection of beauty, fullness of wisdom, and height of dignity. But he had received it all from God through Jesus Christ who had created him. He had noth ing, to his very existence itself, which he had not received.
And when he would boast of it as if he had not received it; when he grew proud of his beauty, and gave himself credit for it as if it were inherently of himself; this, in itself, was but to ignore his Creator, and put himself in His place.
Yea more, when he boasted of that which he had received as if he had not received it; when he exalted himself because of that which he was, as if it were inherently of himself; this was only to argue for himself, self-existence. And this was, in itself, only to make himself, in his own estimation EQUAL WITH GOD.
When he had thus "corrupted his wisdom," it is not strange that he should follow, and even be charmed with, a line of false reasoning. Being only a creature, he could not fathom at once "the eternal purpose" which God had "purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:" and he now began to measure all things by his own perverted conceptions, and to reason only from what he could see.
And, having separated from God, all that he could see was only in the perverted light, through the gloom, of his own corrupted wisdom. Thus again, in the nature of things as they now were, all his reasonings were altogether from himself; and so, measuring all things by his own confused conceptions, beginning and ending all things in himself, this was still to put himself in the place of God, and to make himself equal with God.
But he saw no token that the Lord thought of him as he thought of himself. He could see nothing to indicate any pur pose on the part of the Lord to exalt him to the dignity and the place which alone he now considered worthy of himself.
He therefore concluded that this failure was only because of a set purpose on the part of Christ, who was equal with God (which set purpose was shared by the Father), to keep him down, and not to allow, in the presence of the heavenly hosts, the full display of his powers lest He himself should be eclipsed.
Then it was that he conceived the idea and formed the pur- pose to supplant Him who was equal with God, and to make himself indeed, and in place, equal with God. Then it was, and thus it was, that he thought it a thing to be seized upon, a usurpation to be meditated, a prize to be contended for, to be equal with God. And therefore it is written,
"...O Lucifer, son of the morning!... ...you have said in your 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." (Isaiah 14:12-14)
This expression, "I will sit also upon the mount of the con gregation, in the sides of the north" or "the farthest end of the north," is worthy of notice. In Psalm 48 it is written,
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge." (Psalm 48:1-3)
It is not the purpose here to try to tell just what is the meaning of this expression, "the sides of the north;" but it is evident that it refers in some way to that particular place where the Majesty of heaven sits in the mountain of His holi ness. And therefore when Lucifer declared, "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north," it was only another way of expressing his determination to be "equal to the Most High." The other expressions in the passage when analyzed, all signify the same thing.
Thus have we found in the completest sense the one in whom was the mind that thought it robbery--a thing to be seized upon, a prize to be violently striven for, a usurpation to be meditated--to be equal with God. We have found his name, and what he was, and what caused his mind to run in this channel.
But let us follow this farther. A greater problem than many think it to be, was thus presented. When Lucifer began thus to admire himself, and so to exalt himself in his own estimation to such a pitch that nothing but to be equal with God would satisfy his ambition, and nothing but to be in the very place of God could furnish a theater sufficient for a proper display of the abilities which resided in him, it again followed in the na ture of things as they now were that the old order of things would not any longer satisfy.
Changing the Government of God
New conditions would demand a new order of things, and therefore there must necessarily be a change. As certainly as his purposes and propositions should be complied with and carried out, so certainly there would have to be a change in the order and government of God. And he did specifically demand that his views should be adopted, that he should be ex alted to the place of dominion and power, and that his plans and purposes should be adopted and carried out. And just so certainly, therefore, he did demand that there should be a change in the order of things. And all, of course, in the inter est of "progress," of "freedom," and of "moral and intellectual advancement." In short, he proposed to "reform" the government of God.
Changing the Law of God
But in order to change the order of things in the government of God there would of necessity have to be a change of the law of God. But the law of God is only the transcript of the character of God; it is but the reflection of himself. To call for a change of His law is to call upon God himself to change. And for God to consent to any conceivable change in His law, would be only Himself to change.
And further, it is written, and we have read it that the jus tice and judgment--the righteousness--that is expressed in the law of God which abides in the throne of God, are the habita tion, the prop, the stay, the foundation of that throne; and therefore are the foundation of the government of God.
Consequently, to propose a change in the law of God, which in itself was proposed in the proposition to change the government of God, was only to propose to remove the foundation of the government of God. But this would be only to destroy the government of God, and set up another, indepen dent of God, and founded, NOT upon righteousness, justice, and judgment, mercy, and truth; but upon self and selfish ambition only.
Love or Force
As only righteousness and justice are the foundation of the throne and government of God; as only mercy and truth go before the face of Him who sits upon that throne and administers the government; it is evident that this throne and government exist only for the highest good, the chiefest blessing, and the most perfect happiness of all in the universe of God-- all expressed in the one word, LOVE.
Then if this order of government must go, to give place to one whose foundation abides only in self and selfish ambition, --every one for himself, and that self supreme; pride and love of supremacy characterizing all who are in any place of power of influence, and envious aspiration of all who are not; begetting universal suspicion and distrust,--this would be but to es tablish an order of government that could be maintained only by a system of everlasting suppression, and oppression,--in short, a universal and unmitigated tyranny, all expressed in the one word, FORCE.
Upon the premises from which Lucifer was proceeding, between the government founded in righteousness and judgment, mercy and truth, and administered in love, and a government centering in self and administered through a spying, meddling, tyrannical force, there could be no possible alterna tive but universal anarchy and even chaos; for the very idea of government is a system of laws maintained.
If the laws are not maintained, but the very fundamental principles of the government must be changed at the selfishly ambitious demand of the first discontented subject, then there can be no such thing as government: everything must go to pieces.
It is evident, therefore, that in the controversy thus origi nated there was involved not only the happiness and highest good of every inhabitant of the universe, but the very existence of the throne and government of God--yea, even the ex istence of God himself.
If this new order of things must be recognized, the throne and government of God must go. If the throne and govern ment of God are to stand, this other enterprise must cease.
This is not to say that Lucifer saw, or intended, all this at the start. He was only a creature. He was, therefore, unable, short of eternity, to fathom God's eternal purpose which He has purposed in Christ; and which was manifested alone through Christ.
But now he had turned against Christ, and against God, and it was impossible for him to understand the purpose of God in anything. He had corrupted His wisdom, and so could see things only in the perverted light of his own obscured vision.
He saw things not as they really were, but as they appeared to him in his perverted understanding of things. And, reasoning only from what he could thus see, it really appeared to him that he was working for the best interests of all.
He could see no farther than to suppose that the order of things proposed by him was better than that which had been established in the eternal counsels, and which was being carried out according to the eternal purpose of the eternal God.
But God saw it all. And Christ saw it all. And both had seen it from the days of eternity. They knew all that was involved in the step which Lucifer had taken. They saw from the beginning all the fearful results which would flow from the course upon which Lucifer had now entered, and from that which he had proposed.
They knew full well that the life and joy, or the misery and death of every creature in the universe was involved--life and joy in the order of God and of Love; misery and death in the order of Self and of Force.
Therefore, the Lord could not recognize nor sanction in any possible degree the propositions of this self-exalted one. He could not change His law. He could not change His own character. He could not cease to be God. He could not abdi cate. The throne of God, the righteous government of the uni- verse, must stand.
Lucifer Invited to Return
As certainly as God and His law could not change nor, cease to be, so certainly Lucifer and his course must be changed or else he cease to be. The mind, the will, the pur- pose, of God could not change nor cease to be; therefore the mind, the will, and the purpose of Lucifer must be changed, or else he cease to be. And God did invite him to change his mind, to yield his will, and to abandon his purpose. The Lord did plead with him to forsake self, and turn again to God.
This we knew because the eternal purpose of God is
"...that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth." (Ephesians 1:10)
This purpose is.
"...by Him to reconcile all things unto himself...whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1:20)
Here, then, was one, and through him there were others, in heaven who had turned against Christ and had separated from God. And as it is God's eternal purpose to gather to gether in one all things in Christ which are in heaven, it follows that God did certainly invite Lucifer to turn again to oneness with the purpose of God in Christ.
Further: it is God's eternal purpose to gather together in one all things in Christ which are in heaven and which are in earth. And as, when man in earth had separated from God, he was called to return; so in the very nature of that eternal pur pose, when angels in heaven had sinned, God did invite them to return.
Again: we know that God did invite Lucifer and the other angels that sinned to return, because it is written,
"There is no respect of persons with God." (Romans 2:11)
When man sinned, God did invite him to return. Therefore, as there is no respect of persons with God, and as God did invite man to return when he had sinned, it follows, of neces sity, that He did invite Lucifer and the other angels to return when they had sinned.
Yet further: God's purpose concerning man and angels, earth and heaven, is but one purpose. In the offer of salvation to man, and the work of salvation in man, in the gospel, by means of the Church on earth, God is working out a problem which is of interest to the good angels now:
"...they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:12)
And by means of which they are caused to know the mani fold wisdom of this eternal purpose. For thus it is written:
"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ... To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church [by means of the Church] the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:" (Ephesians 3:8,10-11)
But this problem of sin in man on earth, is but the continu ation of the original problem raised by sin in Lucifer in heaven. Therefore as the purpose of God concerning earth and heaven, man and angels, is one eternal purpose; as God invited man to return when he had sinned; as the working out of this problem raised by sin in man, is only the continuance of the original problem raised by sin in Lucifer; and as in the working out of this problem through man on earth, the angels are interested, and by it are learning of the manifold wisdom of God in His eternal purpose; it follows that this call of God to man to return to God through Christ, is but the continu ance of the call of God to Lucifer and the angels that sinned to return to God through Christ.
The conclusion of the whole matter then is this: As cer tainly as God's purpose concerning man and angels, earth and heaven, is one purpose; as certainly as there is no respect of persons with God; as certainly as the problem of sin in man on earth is but the continuance of the original problem raised by sin in Lucifer in heaven; and as certainly as God called man to return; so certainly Lucifer and the angels that sinned did God call to return.
Lucifer Rejects the Invitation
But even this blessed call Lucifer misunderstood and perverted. Instead of seeing in it the mercy and loving-kindness of God that would save him from ruin, his own self-impor tance mistook it for a willingness and even a desire on the part of God to treat with him on even terms. He thought him self so far a necessity to the completeness of the universe that it was for that reason the Lord was so anxious to have him re turn; and that therefore in this treaty he could secure the recognition of at least some of his demands.
But, as we have seen, God could not in any conceivable degree recognize or sanction any single idea or wish proposed by him. And as God could not do so, Lucifer soon discovered that He would not do so. He found that the only thing that would be received or recognized by the Lord was the uncondi tional surrender of himself to God, and the abandonment of all his purposes.
This, however, he determined not to do. And then, when he had determined that he would not, because he would not, he cast upon God his own character of willfulness, and decided that the reason that God would not come to terms with him was not because he could not, but only arbitrarily because he would not.
This only confirmed him the more in his determined course; and he resolved to draw with him the heavenly host, and so accomplish his purpose anyhow, of usurping the dominion of God.
He insisted everywhere and to all, that God was harsh, stern, and unyielding; that He would make no concessions at all; would deny himself nothing; would make no sacrifices on behalf of any; but demanded sheer, blind, unreasoning sub mission; that to submit to such a government, and accede to such demands was most unbecoming in such glorious and exalted beings as they were; that it was to consent to be forever kept down, and confined to a narrow circle arbitrarily prescribed, with no liberty, and no opportunities for development.
And all this sacrifice and subjection on their part, he de clared, was demanded on the part of God merely to satisfy His partiality toward His Son whom He was determined should have the place of honor and dominion--not because of any merit or right on His own part, but only because His Father would have it so at the expense of the freedom and dignity of all the rest. Thus he actually succeeded in deceiving and drawing after him one third of the heavenly host (Revelation 12:4).
God Offers to Give His Son
And yet at that very moment, and from the moment when Lucifer took his first false step, God was offering to give His only begotten Son and himself in Him; and the Son himself was freely offering himself to die a sacrifice; to save him who had sinned--to save this very one who was here making the charge and insisting upon it that God would deny himself nothing, and would make no sacrifices for anybody.
The sacrifice of Christ was in the invitation to Lucifer to return to God as certainly as it was in the invitation of man to return to God. For Lucifer had sinned, and from that moment he was a sinner as certainly as ever man was a sinner.
And we have before found that God's eternal purpose in Christ is the same toward all: that purpose to "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth."
Lucifer had sinned and was a sinner when God invited him to return to God. But God did not invite him to return and take his place as of old as a sinner. Sin cannot abide in the presence of God. Therefore the invitation of God to sinful Lucifer to return was in itself the offer to him of salvation from sin, that he might return and take his place in righteousness.
But "the wages of sin is death." Therefore to save Lucifer from sin was to save him from death, and to save him from death was to die for him. Consequently, the sacrifice of the Son of God to save Lucifer from sin, was in the invitation of God to him to return, as certainly as the sacrifice of Christ to save man from sin, was in the invitation to man to return from sin to God.
For whether sin be in man or in cherub, it is sin; and with out the offering of life there is "no remission,"--and that offering is of the life of the Son of God (John 3:16; 10:15-18).
Again: it was not the mind that was in Christ that was manifested in Lucifer, and that led him to take this course. It was self and self alone--the mind and the minding of self.
And when God invited him to return to God, it was not that he should return with this mind and the minding of self, which thought it a thing to be seized upon to be equal with God; but to return to the mind of God that was in Christ, who thought it not a thing to be held fast, or contended for, to be equal with God.
This mind that was in Lucifer had caused him to exalt him self even above God, and the image of God was no more re flected in him; but only self. And when invited to return, it was that he should turn from self, to forsake self, and have the image of God once more impressed upon his heart, and re flected in his life.
But he was only a creature, and therefore of himself could not empty himself of himself that he might forsake self, and receive the native impress of God. Self was all there was of him, and self cannot save itself from itself.
The sinner, whether cherub, angel, or man, must be saved from himself. Lucifer had disconnected himself from God's eternal purpose; he had separated from Christ. But that eternal purpose is to gather together all in Christ.
Therefore for Lucifer to be saved from himself, to receive again the mind that was in Christ that restores the image of God, he would have to receive Christ in whom God is revealed. And in receiving Christ--the mind, the Spirit of Christ --there would again be restored and reflected in him the im age of God who is revealed alone in Christ.
But in order for Lucifer to receive Christ, and thus be saved from himself, and restored to righteousness and holiness before God, Christ must be offered.
Therefore so certainly as it was necessary in order for Lucifer to return in righteousness, that he should have another mind, another heart; so certainly it is true that in the invita tion of God for Lucifer to return, there was the offering of Je sus Christ to die for him.
And thus to him, as certainly as ever to man, there was given the exhortation,
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who thought it not a thing to be seized upon and contended for to be equal with God; but emptied himself and became obedient unto death."
And all that was done for Lucifer was done for the angels who were deceived by him or who went with him, "for there is no respect of persons with God."
Rejection of the Offer
But neither he nor they would receive the wondrous gra cious gift. On the part of all it was still "all of self, and none of Christ." What more, then, could possibly be done for them?
When that anointed cherub had chosen his own way instead of God's way; when he had put his own purpose in the place of God's purpose; when he had set up for independence of God; when he had not only rejected the Lord's gracious in vitation to return, but had presumed to judge Him who gave the invitation; he doubly rejected the gift of salvation by Jesus Christ.
When he had thus chosen himself and his own way, and had confirmed himself in that way; and when all those who followed him had deliberately chosen him instead of God in Christ as their head and leader, and so had rejected the gift of Christ to save them; then what more could possibly have been done for them?--Absolutely nothing.
* They had deliberately made their own choice, and had confirmed themselves in that choice.
* They had "kept not their first estate" (Jude 6), and had chosen not to receive it again.
* They had "left their own habitation" (ibid.), and had refused to return.
* They had "sinned" and had rejected salvation.
As they had so determinedly made their own choice, all that the Lord could do was to let them have their own choice.
Only, as evil cannot dwell with Him, as sin cannot abide in His presence, as they in heart, in character, and by deliberate and confirmed choice has abandoned their first estate and left their own habitation, they must now leave it in fact; for nei ther in itself nor to them could heaven be heaven with them in it. They must be cast out that they and all might realize and know for a certainly the difference between the service of self and the service of God.
War in Heaven
But, behold! when they found that their choice and the course which they had taken involved their leaving heaven, involved really and indeed their leaving their own habitation, they were not willing to go. They were willing to make their choice, and were willing to confirm themselves in that choice; but they were not willing to accept the consequences of their choice. They resisted.
"And there was war in heaven: Michael [Christ] and His an- gels fought against the dragon [the devil]; and the dragon [Satan] fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)
Nothing than this could possibly show more plainly the essentially selfish nature of Lucifer and those who chose to go with him. Nothing could show more plainly that the complete usurpation of the place and government of God was involved in the controversy that had been thus raised.
They were not only determined to have their own way, but they were determined to have their own way in their own way. They would have their own way, and have it in heaven, too. And they would even drive out Christ and God from heaven that they might have their own way in their own way, in the place of God.
This demonstrates conclusively that the mind that was in Lucifer,--the mind that was not in Christ,--the mind that caused Lucifer to exalt himself, was a mind, that in its very essence would be content with nothing less than "to be equal with God" in the place of God. It would exalt self above God, and put Him out of His place, that self alone might be supreme.
But he prevailed not. He was cast out of heaven, and his angels were cast out with him. They were
"...cast down to hell, and delivered into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)
"Into chains of darkness"--into the bondage of darkness. The Greek word here translated "hell" is raprapwoas tartarosas, from raprapos Tarturus, and is defined as meaning
"the hard, impenetrable darkness that surrounds the material universe."
It seems, from the definition that the lexicographers give the word, that the Greek idea of "the material universe," what ever may have been included in their idea of the term, was that around it like a shell lay a solid mass of material darkness so perfectly "hard" that it was impenetrable.
Now the Lord adopts the Greek word, but not the Greek idea, to convey to us the idea of the condition of "the angels that sinned." As the Greek word is expressive of a material darkness that is impenetrable, so by this word the Lord would convey to us the idea and the truth that the spiritual darkness into which were cast, or given over, the angels that sinned, is absolutely impenetrable ever to a single ray of light or hope from God.
They have persistently chosen their own way, which is only the way of darkness. They have rejected every offer of light and hope that God could possibly make. He has conse quently given them up to their own way.
And as they have rejected every possible offer that the Lord could make, they have put themselves completely beyond recovery. And therefore they have also decided their own cases, and have fixed upon themselves the judgment of destruction, which now only awaits them. So it is written:
"The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6)