|
A. No. The moment Lucifer himself fell, he was judged and cast out of heaven. He became Satan, the adversary of God. Those who believe that Satan has or even had access to heaven have misinterpreted the term “sons of God” as angelic beings in the following three verses found in the Book of Job:
Job
1:6: Now there was a day when the
sons of God
came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also
among them. The term “sons of God” is never used for angelic beings in the Sacred Scripture. The angels were not created to be sons of God; they were created to be servants of God. There is no “Father-son” relationship between God and the angels. The angels stand before God as His servants and He their Owner-Master. They were created as ministering spirits. The term “sons of God” actually denotes the special relationship of man to God — as His children. Furthermore, such terms as “Father” and “son” do not only show the existence of a relationship but also the ability to procreate — “Be fruitful, and multiply...” But the angelic beings were not created to procreate. Being spirits, they are always portray as “men”, never as “women” and they are asexual, sexless (Mark 12:25). In the Scriptures they are often called “stars”(Job 38:7; Dan.8:10; Rev.1:16a, cf. 1:20; 8:12; 9:1). [Note: Female angels are the design of carnal men. Some theologians hinted that there might be female angels by interpreting the “two women” in this verse of Zechariah 5:9: “And I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, two women came out. And the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork. And they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens”. Are they? Or does the vision of Zechariah (chapter 5) show God's dealing of Jerusalem and Israel (“which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt”, Rev.11:8) by an unclean force (wind on the wings of an unclean bird) that lifts up the religious wickedness that builds its house in the land of Shinar where Babylon is?] The two verses of Job (1:6; 2:1) speak not of a scene in heaven where all holy angels were gathered before God, and Satan, the evil one, came also among them — right in the very abode of God. But rather it speaks of a scene on earth where true “sons of God”, true worshippers, gathered to present themselves before God and the evil one came also among them. The true worshippers of God in Job’s days gathered themselves before God on certain days just like the true worshippers of God do so today. And it was just such a day that Satan sat on someone in the congregation to accuse Job.Yes, in every congregation, demons do sit and bide their time to bring about false accusations against some saints of God. Show me that it is not true that demons go to church, that they do get a ride in certain church-goers. Show me that it is not true that the evil one is working in the midst of the congregation of the church. Lucifer had aspired to be like the Most High God. In that conception he deceived himself (cf. 1 Cor.3:18; Gal.6:3). A third of the angels, who in their own similar iniquity, chose to side with him in a rebellion against the Almighty.
Rev.12:7:
And there was war in
heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought and his angels, Heaven is God’s abode, sins have no place there. None of these fallen angels could enter the heaven of God again. They lost their estates in the heavenly places and became earth bound. They fell from heaven, so to speak (Lk.10:18). They no longer have direct access to God's Throne. They were cast out and cut to the ground. Let me expand further. The word “heaven” points not just to a literal place but also to an elevation, a heavenly realm when angelic beings each has a place, a position, an estate. Lucifer, who became Satan, was cast out of the heaven (abode) of God, that is, he was ejected from heaven (cf.Rev.12:9). He was cast out of God's holy mountain (God's elevated realm) as an unholy creature (cf.Ezek.28:16). He was “cut down to the ground”; like a tree he was hewed down to the ground (cf.Isa.14:12). He was stripped of his estate and brought low for he was a debased rebellious creature. So were all those rebellous angels. The
Devil (fallen Lucifer) is
yet to be cast down to the ground (cf.
Rev.12:10; Ezek.28:17). That is, he
will be brought to naught and
destroyed. Today, the
Devil is embodied in a mass of religious people throughout the whole
religious system. And particularly through the religious Roman
system, Satan continues his war against God and His people. Satan is
fighting a losing battle and he
will soon be destroyed when Yahweh
cast him down.
[Note: See 2 Cor.4:9, where Paul said that as God's elect we are
“persecuted,
but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed”.
Surely, man might throw us down to the ground and dash us to pieces
but being in the hands of our Lord we would not be broken and
destroyed.]
Another
The Scripture passage is
To begin to understand the prophetic utterance of prophet Micaiah
let me put forth this question:
That the Almighty counsel not with any creature is truth. However,
Yahweh does express Himself in ways that we, His children may feel
His passion just as He feels ours. We are not just a mere part of
His creation but His children in whom is His image and likeness. We
have records in which He expressed His regrets in creating mankind
(cf.Gen.6:6); His sorrow in making Saul king over Israel (cf.1Sam.15:35);
His destruction
of 70,000 men by sending a pestilence over David's sin in numbering
the children of Israel
(cf.1Chron.21:15) and many more. Such expressions are manifested for
us to take heed to God's feelings, and that we might know the depth
of His love toward us, His children.
With this fact in mind
that God does not seek the counsel of angels or men, let me point you
to look at the
utterance of Jesus Christ in Luke 10:18:
“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven”
in the context of Luke 10:1-20. After the calling and mission of the
twelve apostles, and giving them their powers, commissions, and
instructions, with other things that followed thereon; our Lord sent
forth seventy other disciples. The passage tells us that when they
returned
“with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name”
(vv.17), Jesus
remarked to them
“I beheld
(or I
saw)
Satan as lightning fall from heaven”.
My question is: Did Jesus say that because he suddenly saw a vision of Satan falling from heaven?
Obviously the answer is a “no”. He did not see a vision. His words
were mere prophetic utterances toward abating the disciples'
transport of mind in elevating themselves. In admonition he added:
“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. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the
spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names
are written in heaven” (Lk.10:19-20). See? Notice again this
last statement:
“Notwithstanding
in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but
rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven”.
Pride comes before a fall!
How true! O, how many preachers have boasted of the GREAT work they
have done for the Lord but only to find themselves
in a fallen state of rebellion against the very Truth they preached.
Let us look at how
tradition understands the passage of 1 Kings 22:19-23.
1Kg.22:19: Ahab, the evil king of Israel sought to recover the city of Ramothgilead that he had lost to the Syrians. He engaged King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in the campaign. Jehosphaphat was not so wicked a king as Ahab yet he was drawn into an unholy union with the wicked northern kingdom of Israel against Syria (which nation Jehoshaphat's father once joined hand to fight against Israel, cf. 1Kgs.15:19-20). Nevertheless he requested that they first seek the will of the Lord. King Ahab had some 400 prophets of his own. They were prophets of the groves. They stood there before the two kings and prophesied in answer to Ahab's question: “Shall I go or shall I forbear?” These false prophets knew the desire of the heart of Ahab. They too might have considered the probability of Ahab winning the battle for he had not long since beaten the Syrians twice, and now his alliance with the King of Judah certainly favoured the cause. Needless to say, they pretended to speak by prophecy as if it was from Yahweh. They even strenthened their prophecy by the symbolic use of iron horns (cf.Deut.33:17), “Ahab, the LORD says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!” They did that to please him and even used the Name of Yahweh (cf.1Kgs.22:11). The unity of all these prophets was as one man. Hah! But unity is not always the mark of a true ministry or church. They all were one mind and speaking in one accord but they were all in error!King Jehoshaphat did not relish in the prophecy of those prophets. He discerned the fallacy. He knew that God was not in that multitude of their counsels. He asked Ahab if there was not another prophet around. Ahab affirmed that there was one more and unashamedly declared to Jehoshaphat that he hated that prophet for “he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil”. Of course, when a man is living in sin he cannot easily accept Godly admonition from a servant of God; he will consider him an enemy. Nevertheless Ahab had a messenger sent to bring Micaiah the prophet.1Kg.22:13: And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.14: And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. The messenger pressed Micaiah to be one with all Ahab's prophets — to “speak that which is good”. Ha, he wanted Micaiah to be in good standing with the King of Israel. But Micaiah was not a prophet of the groves, he could not be bribed — “I will speak what the LORD says to me”. Micaiah was resolved to a greater King to Whom he served.When Micaiah was brought into the presence of the two kings who were both in their royal robes and each sitting upon their thrones at an open space of the city gate of Samaria. They were in pomp and grandeur. With them stood the 400 flattering prophets of Ahab. The whole assembly was ready to lend an ear to this one poor lone prophet. Micaiah was not intimidated by royalty or pompous religiosity. 1Kg.22:15: So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.Now, notice the sarcasm of the prophet Micaiah. Watch the mocking words: “Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king”. He was saying what was in the heart of Ahab for he knew the spirit of Ahab through and through. Micaiah was toying with Ahab to let him see his foolishness, his presumptuous ‘would be’ victory in his forth coming battle for Ramothgilead and his being a weakling king. Still Ahab wanted Micaiah to tell him the TRUTH: “How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?” (1Kg.22:16) So the prophet said:1Kg.22:17: ...I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. Again, let look at the statement carefully. When Micaiah said “I saw all Israel scattered...” did he see a literal vision there and then that caused him to say that? Or did he utter those words prophetically against Ahab because he saw the people of Israel dispersed and helpless because they have no one to care and direct them? (Will it be difficult for anyone to comprehend when I utter this: “I saw the true elect of the Lord scattered and wounded in the various camps of the Endtime Message churches who have no true shepherds to feed them”?)When a prophet says “I saw...” it is not always about a literal vision given him by God. A God-called man is often gifted with wisdom and perception to what He has called him to do. He has spiritual vision and insight into the things he is dealing with. A better translation of the statement (1Kg.22:17)would be: ...I have seen all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no ruler; they shall each return to his house in peace. 1Kg.22:18: And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? In telling the truth to someone who was going the wrong and dangerous way, the intention is often perceived as bad. King Ahab felt it as such. (O how art thou fallen, King Ahab!) How could Micaiah prophesy any good concerning Ahab? His predecessor, Elijah the prophet, could not prophesy any good about Ahab, so Micaiah could not prophesy any otherwise. But if Ahab took what was spoken to him as hatred, Micaiah was really to make it prophetically plain and simple to him the Mind of God. The prophet already knew God's will and intention. So he prophesied in the form of a drama for Ahab. 1Kg.22:19: And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. Notice carefully the surroundings as Micaiah prophesized to Ahab. Remember he was standing before the presence of the two kings who were arrayed in royalty and splendor seated high on their own individual thrones at an open space in the city gate of Samaria. Ahab's prophets and counsellors were all gathered round about the thrones, on the left and right. A crowd of citizens might have also gathered to watch the meeting from a near distance. It was a scene that was set up for one to seek counsel. And Micaiah used the very setting that was there before him and in his mind's eye, knowing the revelation of God concerning Ahab's decision and plan, presented the words of God to Ahab thus: “I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left”. [Note: Remember the words of Jesus in Luke 10:18: “I beheld (or I saw) Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”] Yes, there was a greater KING sitting on His Throne and in a greater splendor than those two kings. Micaiah did not have any vision open before him that he sees.
1Kg.22:20: And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go
up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and
another said on that manner. From these words of Micaiah we can see that it was a derision. He was mocking Ahab's foolishness in seeking counsel with false prophets. Ahab had been acting on impulse. Instead of trusting fully in the God of his father, he chose many times to seek the counsel of his own prophets of the grove and even to heed the voice of his wife Jezebel. Moreover the words of Micaiah could not be taken that the Lord was entering into a consultation with the angels upon this subject or discussion for God Himself is omnipotent and omniscient; He counsels not with anyone. Micaiah was only prophesizing the decree of God that Ahab should go forth in the battle and fall by the hand of the king of Syria, Benhadad, whose life he had spared, about two years earlier, as a just punishment of him. (See 1 Kings 20:42.) It is certainly foolish for preachers to assume that angelic beings can ever advise their Creator on what to do. Fallen man may give advice and surely to each his own — “one said on this manner, and another said on that manner”. But the holy angels fear to tread on such ground. God is sovereign and He is omnipotent and omniscient. He counsels only with Himself. As Paul said, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom.11:34)“And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.” Practically every Bible scholar has assumed that this particular “spirit” was a demon or Satan himself who ascended up from his dark abyss or the earth because tradition has handed it down to them. Theologians taught that as the holy angels in heaven cannot deceive or lie, it must be thus that this “spirit” came up from his own place below heaven. This was drawn from their own faulty interpretation that they had given to Job 1:6 and 2:1 concerning the term “sons of God”. What a delusion! Notice that Micaiah used the word “spirit”, not the word “angel” in his prophetic utterance. To infer that the “spirit” was a fallen “angel” would distort the truth that God intended to show concerning the spirit that was the prophets of Ahab. And that is what we see in the next utterance of the prophet Micaiah: “Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.” It is easy to say that good angels do not lie or deceive. But what do we see here in this prophetic words “...the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee”? Did you notice? Our “LORD hath put a lying spirit” in Ahab's prophets and our “LORD hath spoken evil” regarding Ahab. (See 1Sam.18:10; 1Kg.9:9; Isa.45:7.) The Lord our God had counselled with Himself to do as it pleased Him. Yes, “ God is not a man, that he should lie” (Num.23:19). Yet, as the apostle Paul taught, concerning the wicked, the rebellious, the deceitful and the unrighteous, “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thes.2:10-12).Yes, God sent a strong delusion upon those deceitful and unrighteous prophets of Ahab that their prophetic spirit would be lying spirit. These prophets would only prophesy but flatteries to the rebellious king who had but itchy ears to hear. The lying and deceitful spirit of those prophets would bring forth a strong delusion upon Ahab that he himself would also believe a lie. And yes, God did all these that Ahab and his false prophets might be damned for they believe not the truth of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The moment King Ahab rejected the Word of Truth, evil worked in him. Likewise, when powerful men in the religious. political, financial and military worlds move away from righteousness, evil would begin working in them. God suffers it to be brought upon such men. To the servants of God let me say this: be sincere. Sincerity is a virtue that is lacking in many. Keep your words, for what comes out from your mouth is what you are. If you keep not your words then you have a lying spirit. Be humble. Whoever you are and whatever you have received and experienced be mindful that your spirit be not puffed up. Just a little pride is all it takes to lead your spirit into self-deception and false doctrines, and falsehood. And the end result is you would believe a lie when the Lord sends a strong delusion upon you and those who put their trust in you. You will be responsible for your iniquitous sin (cf. Matt.7:21-23). Your experience is not the authority. The Word of God is the AUTHORITY. Amen.
|
