Fallen angels – part 1

1. Where did the devil come from?

2. This is one of the questions often put to preachers. I get asked it at least once every 1-2 years.

3. Many have been led to believe Satan is a fallen angel.

4. We can build a strong case for believing the devil was once a good angel and then fell.

5. We cannot build this case, however, with the passages a lot of people usually use.

6. Before we consider some verses, we want to make a quick observation.

7. There are those who believe God created Satan. This theory has some serious problems.

8. The devil is evil; he epitomizes corruption and sin.

9. If God created Satan, God created evil. God is not in the business of creating wickedness.

10. What God creates is good. Because God does not originate badness, He did not create a devil.

11. To this someone might say, “If all God creates is good, where did Satan’s temptation come from?”

12. If nothing bad was in heaven, how could evil have been attractive to Satan?

13. Some seem to assume that temptation must always be external.

14. Temptation can come from inside a person as well as an external source.

15. If all things were good, there was no external temptation. Satan was somehow tempted internally.

16. James said in Jas. 1:14, “each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed.”

17. James described internal temptation. I hold to the view that this is how Satan fell.

TONIGHT THE INFORMATION BEING PRESENTED HAS JUST ONE PURPOSE: WE WANT TO LOOK AT VERSES INCORRECTLY APPLIED TO SATAN AND HIS ORIGIN. IN OTHER WORDS, WE WANT TO SHOW WHAT THE TRUTH “IS NOT” SO THE STAGE CAN BE SET FOR A FUTURE TIME TO DETERMINE WHAT THE TRUTH IS.

a) Our study will involve four passages:

b) Isa. 14:12-15; Lk. 10:18; Rev. 12:7-9; Ezek. 28:11-19.

c) We begin with the text that was announced, Isa. 14.

d) If you like to make notes in your Bible, you should have some type of marking by Isa. 14:4.

e) This verse says “thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon.”

f) God specifically tells us who He had in mind in this chapter.

g) Isaiah was talking about the king of Babylon, a human ruler.

h) If this is what God said, this is what God meant.

i) Far too many people run right to verses 12-15 and overlook verse 4.

j) Here is how verse 4 reads – READ.

2) With verse 4 in mind, let’s move to verses 12-15 – READ.

a) One can see why people would turn to this text to get information about Satan.

b) “Fallen from heaven” would seem to line right up with a fallen angel.

c) “Day-star” and “song of the morning” also sound like heavenly language.

d) Ascending to heaven (verse 13) and “exalting my throne above the stars of God” will really preach.

e) Making oneself like God (verse 14) will sell books.

f) God said he had in mind the king of Babylon.

3) While at the Columbia City lectureships a few weeks ago there was a visitor.

4) He happened to go out to lunch with the group I was with and we sat across the table from each other.

5) As we talked he told me how he heard some new things that day.

6) He was teaching some Bible classes on the end of time and what he heard was different from his teaching.

7) We discussed some things and he finally asked me a question.

a) He asked if some Bible passages have a “dual fulfillment.”

b) That is, a passage, especially a prophecy, relates to more than one thing.

c) This is true. God “called His son out of Egypt” (this statement applied to the people of Israel).

d) These words are also applied to the life of Jesus (there was a dual fulfillment).

e) Some have claimed that Isa. 14 is a dual fulfillment.

f) Based on verse 4 no one can ignore the fact that the king of Babylon is being described.

g) Some have said, “In addition to him, the text also describes Satan.”

8) At first this may sound like a very attractive explanation.

9) Let me share this little tidbit with you. The KJV uses the word “Lucifer” in verse 12.

10) A lot of people think Lucifer is a description for Satan.

a) I would underline Lucifer and then write down this definition for that word.

b) Lucifer means ‘bringer of light.” Lucifer is not a proper name.

c) The word has the sense of a “day-star” and is so translated in the ASV.

11) Imagine God through the prophet Isaiah saying the devil is the “bringer of light.”

12) Nothing could be further from the truth than this. Satan brings darkness, death and destruction.

13) Satan may call what he brings light, but his message is sinister and one of gloom.

14) Isa. 14 refers to the King of Babylon and nothing else—Satan is not anywhere in view.

15) The image is that of a king who was great like a star.

16) This ruler would be brought to the ground like a fallen tree.

17) The second text we listed as an improper text for Satan’s origin is Lk. 10:18.

a) Jesus sent out 70 disciples on a type of limited commission.

b) These men returned “with joy” (Lk. 10:17) and said the demons were subject to them.

c) Through the “name of Christ” they overcame evil spirits.

d) To this Jesus said (verse 18), “I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven.”

e) Many have jumped on this verse and said, “Here is the beginning of Satan.”

f) He fell like lighting from heaven.

g) Notice that there is nothing about Satan’s fall in the preceding or following verses.

h) Jesus had not been and He did not start to discuss Satan’s fall.

i) What Jesus did discuss was the defeat of Satan on the limited commission.

j) Jesus saw victory over the devil.

k) When the 70 disciples cast out demons, this was actually a victory over Satan himself.

18) Rather than find the devil’s origin in verse 18, we see information about evangelism.

19) As the disciples preached and taught, the forces of Hell were turned upside down.

20) Evangelism was so upsetting to the devil Jesus likened it to a lighting flash or strike.

21) Notice, too, the present tense – Jesus “saw” this happen. It was not in the past.

22) If the Lord had wanted to describe Satan’s fall, He would have used the past tense.

23) Like Isa. 14, Lk. 10 has no bearing on Satan’s fall or beginning.

24) Another common text to describe Satan’s fall is Rev. 12:7-9.

a) This is an old standby passage to explain where the devil came from.

b) Like all the other verses, we simply need to observe some of the context.

c) Rev. 12 opens with the image of a pregnant woman (verse 2).

d) The idea is that the Hebrew nation would bring the Messiah into the world.

e) A woman brings a child; Israel brought a savior.

f) Satan knew about heaven’s plan and wanted to stop it – verse 4 - READ.

g) Satan wanted to get Jesus early in His life but he failed.

25) Jesus came, lived His life, and finally ascended back to heaven – verse 5 – READ.

26) Satan was not pleased and tried to interfere some more (verses 7-9).

27) This text is just like Lk. 10:18; the Bible is not dealing with Satan’s origin.

28) The verses deal with Satan’s defeat. We often concentrate on the past; God stresses the future.

29) God is not so concerned as telling us where Satan came from as much as where Satan is going.

30) If people did not limit their study to verses 7-9 they would not have a hard time seeing the point.

31) Listen to Rev. 12:10-11 – READ.

32) Jesus came, did His work, has returned to heaven, and Satan has little recourse from the cross on.

33) Satan knows he cannot win; he simply wants to take as many people with him as possible.

34) Rev. 12 tells us about events from the New Testament era, not the devil’s beginnings.

35) Our fourth and final text comes from Ezek. 28.

a) Ezekiel was on of God’s prophets during the Babylonian captivity (605-535 B.C).

b) As a prophet he spoke about the doom that would come upon some of the adjacent nations.

c) In verse 12 of Ezek. 28 the prophet specifically mentions the “King of Tyre.”

d) What many concentrate on is verse 13 – “you were in Eden, the garden of God.”

e) “You were set upon the holy mountain of God” (Ezek. 28:14), and “perfect from creation (verse 15).

f) There was sin (verse 16) and a removal (same verse) from the “mountain of God.”

g) Satan is never named in this chapter; the information directed to the literal king of Trye.

36) Ezekiel described one “covered with precious stones” (verse 13); such cannot be true of a spirit being like Satan.

37) Verse 16 tells us the one being described was involved with “traffic” or “commerce.”

38) The devil is not a businessman, at least not as we use the term.

39) Context further helps us understand that Satan is not being described.

a) Although people generally start with Ezek. 28, this not where the story begins.

b) Ezek. 26:2 says the king of Tyre rejoiced over Jerusalem’s destruction.

c) Jerusalem had been overcome in 586 B.C. by Babylon and the king of Tyre was happy about that.

d) Ezek. 26:2 – READ. The king and his people were on the wrong side of the fence.

e) God promised that Tyre would be punished – verse 3 – READ.

40) God said Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon would come against this city – verse 7 – READ.

41) This actually happened in 572 B.C.

42) There is nothing about the devil’s origin and this wicked king and the people of Tyre.

43) That is true here, and that is also true when we read about this king in Ezek. 28.

44) The verses commonly used to prove Satan’s origin have nothing at all to do with that.

45) In fact, listen to Ezek. 28:3 – READ.

46) The comparison to Daniel shows we are dealing a human being, not Satan.

47) These four passages present us with an important lesson.

48) A lot of people turn to the Bible to prove something from verses that do not teach what they say.

49) Just because someone pulls out a Bible verse, that does not make something right.

a) Verses have meaning and that meaning must be understood.

b) A passage may “sound” like it teaches something when that is not really the case.

c) No wonder the Bible warns us to study, be diligent, and use care with the Scriptures.

d) God’s word can be understood, but effort and carefulness are required.

50) Tonight we hope you understand enough of the Bible to obey what God requires of you.