The Prophetic Telegraph No 93
LUCIFER'S
GLORIOUS BEGINNING
EARLY HISTORY, BEFORE HIS FALL
So great is the
misunderstanding about Satan's real person, that this article may come as a
surprise to some of our readers. The world, and sadly also the church, has
painted a ridiculous figure, sometimes in terms of a snake in an apple tree,
and otherwise as half-man, half-goat with horns, to mention just two of the
prevailing symbols. In this first of the "Lucifer Papers" we shall
try to put the record straight from Scripture about his glorious beginning.
An incident recorded in
Jude's letter refers to a confrontation between Satan and Michael about the
body of Moses. We are told that Michael deferred to Satan, and asked the Lord
to rebuke him. This being the case, Satan retained after his fall a position of
great presence in the heavenly regions, whereby even the Archangel Michael
needed to exercise care in his manner of address. What therefore was he like
before he was ejected from the Highest Heavens by Divine decree?
Satan has various other
titles in the Bible. He is also called the Devil, the Serpent, the Dragon, a
Roaring Lion, and Lucifer. Likewise we find him depicted in terms of the King
of Babylon (as Lucifer, Isa.14), and the King of Tyre, (Ezek.28.) To begin our
search we shall start with the name Lucifer.
LUCIFER. Many Bible Dictionaries define this
word as "Morning Star". But we decline from accepting this because in
the Book of Revelation Jesus is referred to as "the Bright and Morning
Star." It is therefore confusing when the name is attached to BOTH. A bit
of analysis shows that the Hebrew word is HELEL, from the same root as the word
HALELUJAH, meaning "praise the Lord". HELEL is therefore basically ,
"Praiser", or perhaps better, "Praise-Master". Drums and
Viols are mentioned in this connection. Here then is the first piece of
valuable information. Satan was originally the "Praise-Master of
Heaven." And that was a very important function.
EARLY DAWN. Then we find added to the word
"Lucifer" the expression, "son of the morning." In the A.V.
it is translated thus. But in the Hebrew, HELEL BEN SHACHAR. BEN is the usual
word for "Son", and SHACHAR is that form of darkness that just
preceeds dawn. There is just a glimmer of light. Hence, Lucifer was "Son
of the first glimpse of light". When? On the first day of Creation. Hence
he is referred to as the first of God's creative works in the heavens.
A CREATED BEING. We meet the expression "in
the day that you were created" in Ezekiel 28. Here is the clear evidence
that he was CREATED. It is important to state this. The New Age teachers
advertise Satan as an UNcreated being like God, and that DUALISM is a
fundamental part of this Universe, expressed in the Chinese "Yin-Yan"
symbol. But nothing could be further from the truth. GOD ALONE is uncreated. On
which day was he created? It could only have been on Day One, because it was
then that God created the "Heavens and the Earth." And the Lord told
Job that "All the sons of God shouted for joy," on that day. Satan
was one of the first of the Heavenly Host to be created on that momentous day.
PERFECTION. "You were perfect in all your
ways from the day you were created," the Lord said to the King of Tyre in
Ezekiel 28. It is important to dwell on these revelations, and formulate in our
minds exactly what Satan was like in the beginning. It is far too easy to dwell
only on the (often erroneous) image we've been given for the now-season. He was
PERFECT. The word used is that which was employed for Noah, who was "Perfect
in his generations" or, among his contemporaries. Even so was
Lucifer in his beginnings.
HIS SANCTUARY. Yes, Satan had a Sanctuary in the
beginning. It was a heavenly Pavilion. Perhaps it would be better to say that
he had "Holy Places", for that is the Hebrew of Ezek.28:18 and it
shows that in the days of his splendour and perfection, the time when he was in
charge of the Music of Praise, he held Angelic Services of Praise in his Holy
Places, in a similar form to human congregations on earth. This must have been
his chief function, because God said "I have set you so."
HIS THRONE. And in addition to the Priestly
function just mentioned, we learn from Isaiah 14 that he had a Throne. In other
words he possessed Regal authority. Paul in Colossians speaks about
"thrones, and dominions, principalities and powers" in the
heavenlies. Outside the Godhead, Satan occupied the chief Throne in the
beginning. He was a Priest and a King, and Perfect in all his ways.
HIS HEART. This may come as a shock, but it is
nevertheless quite true. Satan has a HEART. We are told so in Ezek.28:17, and
Isa.14:13. Just as the Bible tells us again and again that God has a heart, so
also are we told that Satan has a heart. And the heart is the seat of the
feelings. Even as Scripture tells us about the human heart and its
propensities, so also it was with Satan's heart, and the way in which he
thought and felt in the days of his perfection.
IN THE
HIS WISDOM. "You were full of
wisdom." Ezek.28:12. How great were the created glories of
Lucifer in the beginning. "Full of Wisdom", rather like Solomon, but
on an even higher level, as the heavens are above the earth. Wisdom differs
from knowledge, in that it enables one to know HOW TO USE knowledge to the
greatest benefit. This heavenly being was not just a Wise Being, but God said
that he was FULL of Wisdom, way above earth's greatest philosophers. We can
have little comprehension of how it might have operated. But let us not detract
from the written word by lessening the magnitude and impact of Satan's Wisdom
as it used to be.
HIS BEAUTY. "-
- and perfect in beauty." Here again, it is difficult for us to conceive
what form of beauty is meant, but God said that it was PERFECT, a superlative
expression. The Angels who attended his Praise Services must have gasped at his
appearance, and been stunned at the wisdom of his words. Beauty is a quality in
great demand on this earth. God has given us all a sense of aesthetic
appreciation. How much more must it have been in heaven.
HIS SPLENDOUR. As if Wisdom and Beauty were not
enough, God spoke about his "Splendour" (Ezek.28:17). Satan was a
Royal Priest, with the high honour of being the Praise Master in Heaven and his
Wisdom and Beauty were of the greatest possible dimension. But he was also
"splendid" in these qualities. He is said to have been covered in an
array of precious stones and gold, and even if these were symbolic, they lose
nothing by this use of language. Let us look a little more closely at the
subject of these "precious stones".
HIS BEZELS. "The workmanship of
your - - pipes was prepared in the day you were created."
Ezek.28:13. For "pipes" it should read "Bezels". These are
the small sockets in which precious stones are mounted. We are told that
Lucifer had these bezels "prepared" in him from his creation. What
does this mean? It signifies a condition whereby precious stones are EXPECTED
to be mounted. This is figurative language. Precious stones to the Apostle Paul
bespoke glories of spiritual character that could be built upon the foundation
of our faith, which is Christ Himself. (1 Cor.3) Hence Lucifer was full of
POTENTIAL for the growth of graces and spiritual fruits. And during the years
before his fall, we are told that he had "every precious stone
as his covering." Once again, let us not in any way detract
from the superlative achievements of this heavenly being in his early years.
HIS MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS.
Verse 13 of Ezek.28 tells us that his "Drums were prepared in
him from his creation." What does this mean? The same figure
of speech is being employed. We have already said that he was the Praise
Master. But he was no automaton. He had free-will the same as us, and was
expected to use all his latent abilities to God's glory. Hence in respect of
the Holy Sanctuary, and his congregational meetings, he had the ability to
improve on his own function. Music was latent within him. He could be described
as a virtuoso, but every musician needs to practice and improve. This is the
hidden meaning of these words. In Isa.14 we read about his "Viols",
and it is clear that he was in charge of a whole range of musical instruments.
THE ANOINTED ONE.
"You were the anointed Cherub". Ezek.28:14. It should read, "You
were the Anointed One, the Cherub who covers." The Hebrew
word "anointed" has the same letters as the word employed by Daniel
for "Messiah the Prince." This may come as a
surprise to some. But although there is only ONE True Messiah, there have been
many possessing divine anointing. God tells Ezekiel that Lucifer was anointed
into the position he held. No one else had that position. Furthermore, it was
the greatest position of privilege outside the Godhead.
THE CHERUB WHO
COVERS. "You were the Anointed One, the Cherub who Covers." Covers what? And which Cherub?
These are important questions, and we are now getting to the crux of Lucifer's
original office and standing before God. From an investigation of the rest of
Scripture, it becomes clear that he covered God's glory from the eyes of all
other heavenly beings. Just as God dwelt in "the thick
darkness" that was in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle,
so also He was hidden from all save Lucifer in the heavens. Only the High
Priest was allowed entry into the Holy of Holies, and that, once a year. It is
instructive to consider that Lucifer the King-Priest, was likewise allowed into
the "Throne Room" on certain occasions, and no one else would have
had this privilege.
THE SERPENT CHERUB. We have asked the question, which
Cherub? Ezekiel saw just FOUR and he named them as Lion, Ox, Man, and Eagle.
But Lucifer was also a Cherub, and from Genesis 3, we learn that he was the
Serpent Cherub. When he appeared to Eve, it was in the full blaze of his beauty
and splendour. He was NOT a snake in the tree, but a magnificent being who
stood on his feet as a man, but had wings. Some other ancient sources speak
about him as having SIX PAIRS of wings, unlike the four Cherubim we read about,
who have THREE PAIRS. Notice that each of the Cherubim is Head over some part
of God's Creation - the Lion over wild beasts, the Ox over domestic (clean)
beasts, Man over humanity, and the Eagle over bird-life. So the Serpent Cherub
is Head over all the Reptilian Order of beings. All the Dinosaurs belonged to
that group.
YOU SEAL UP THE
SUM. "You seal up the sum - -" said the Lord about Lucifer. A
better translation would be, "You are the Ultimate
Blueprint." This is about the highest privilege that God
could bestow on him. A Blueprint is a DESIGN, from which many other things may
be made to satisfy the Great Designer. Satan was supposed to be such, and for
many years he fulfilled that function admirably. Many years ago we asked the
Lord when Adam fell, and He told us, through the prophetic ministry of a young
brother in Christ, that it was SEVENTY YEARS after creation. During those 70
years Satan was for the most part fulfilling his role in every way that God
intended him to. In addition, he was head over all the Cherubim.
HE WALKED UP AND
DOWN. In verse
14 we read that Lucifer walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
In Job we find that Satan was "walking up and down in the
earth". His function was not static within his Holy Places or
Sanctuaries. He had other services to perform. And this "walking up and
down" was not just in the heavenly realm. It speaks rather of being able
to "pass through the heavens to the earth." In other words, to walk
up and down the spiritual dimensions, from the Highest Heaven, which was his
home, through the Lower heaven, and even down to Earth, because we are told
that he was in "Eden the Garden of God." And
that is clear from Genesis 3 as well. Eve was not surprised at his appearance.
He must have stopped by on frequent occasions in connection with the worship of
God. And in doing so, Adam and Eve would be transfixed by his character, his
wisdom and beauty, and the "stones that flashed with fire", in other
words the graces and spiritual fruits that had grown to be a part of him. Here
then is an analysis of what we can learn about Satan in the Royal Priestly
Years before he fell, before he was cast out of the Highest Heaven. What a character!
No wonder we find Michael the