Chapter 3:
War arose in heaven. These are the words the apostle John uses in his last book, Revelation, the Apocalypse. War between Michael and his angels and a dragon and his demons. War revolving around a woman with a child, “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” A child, “caught up to God and to his throne.” When we look back to Eden, we see one who infiltrates the garden, one who manipulates, tempts, and turns man away from God. We see a serpent who started a war.
This serpent was created as an angel of God’s. He was named Lucifer, light bearer, the son of the dawn. He was meant to hold a position of high honor. He was made good. What happened to him? Let’s look to the Church and scripture for more light, no pun intended, on the subject. Saint John of Damascus says of Lucifer:
“He who from among these angelic powers was set over the earthly realm, and into whose hands God committed the guardianship of the earth, was not made wicked in nature but was good, and made for good ends, and received from his Creator no trace whatever of evil in himself. But he did not sustain the brightness and the honour which the Creator had bestowed on him, and of his free choice was changed from what was in harmony to what was at variance with his nature, and became roused against God Who created him, and determined to rise in rebellion against Him: and he was the first to depart from good and become evil. For evil is nothing else than absence of goodness, just as darkness also is absence of light. For goodness is the light of the mind, and, similarly, evil is the darkness of the mind. Light, therefore, being the work of the Creator and being made good (for God saw all that He made, and behold they were exceeding good) produced darkness at His free-will. But along with him an innumerable host of angels subject to him were torn away and followed him and shared in his fall. Wherefore, being of the same nature as the angels, they became wicked, turning away at their own free choice from good to evil.” – St. John of Damascus, The Orthodox Faith, Book 2, Chapter 4,
650 - 754 AD
I Will and I Will Not
At the creation of the angels, Lucifer was created without any trace of evil, and it was Lucifer’s decision to turn and rebel against his Creator. Saint John of Damascus tells us it was Lucifer who was the first to turn and “depart from good.” He failed to sustain the brightness and light he had been given, and turning from harmony to disharmony, he started a war. The other angels subject to him, one third of the angelic order, were convinced by him and brought to turn against the goodness of God as well.
His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. – Revelation 12: 4
Why would Lucifer rebel? Theologians have reflected on this for many centuries. Many early church writers point to Isaiah’s prophecy about the king of Babylon as one example which points also to Lucifer, the fallen angel. Let’s turn to the prophet Isaiah to see what he has to say:
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God; I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” – Isaiah 14: 12-14
Isaiah shows us within the King of Babylon, and within Lucifer, five statements reside. Five “I wills” which show Lucifer’s progressive desire to rise above; become greater than; and make himself God, the Most High.
His first desire was to ascend to heaven above the stars of God, in other words, to be the pinnacle of God’s creation. His second, to set his throne on high, to not only be the pinnacle of creation but to rule over creation. Third, to rule not only over creation but over everything to “the far reaches.” Fourth, to ascend above even creation itself. Fifth, to be God the “Most High” himself.
Lucifer likely was created and gifted with many talents. He possessed a position of authority, being the bearer of the light. We can imagine how he could have been tempted with the greatness that had been gifted him by God and then mistook it as a greatness which he possessed precisely within himself apart from the Divine Maker.
We can imagine his talent and skill. He likely was a crafty convincer; he did convince a third of the angels to rebel along with him after all. We can see here Lucifer’s dissatisfaction with the place in which God created him. It was lust for his own position in the angelic order of creation which led to Lucifer’s demise. It was a lust for self, a lust for power. In short, what Lucifer had was pride . . . (To Be Continued)