1: The Fall of Lucifer
Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel,
next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other
angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and
broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing
noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone
around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet
Christ, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host.
He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was
envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on
Christ alone.
The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the
presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son
was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy
angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was
ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself;
so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence.
The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father.
His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host.
Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated
creation of the
13
earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son
would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of
Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.
Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the
angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority
and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy
and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in
regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not
understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But
Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to
be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a
favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this
did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired
to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that
he was honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He
had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light
enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him. He thought
how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not
his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored
before himself?
He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied and filled
with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes, he
assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which was himself.
As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the
neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the
angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed
14
over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor? He
stated to them that he had called them together to assure them that he no
longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that never
would he again bow down to Christ; that he would take the honor upon
himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the
commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice.
There was contention among the angels. Lucifer and his sympathizers
were striving to reform the government of God. They were discontented
and unhappy because they could not look into His unsearchable wisdom
and ascertain His purposes in exalting His Son, and endowing Him with
such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority
of the Son.
Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty,
rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God
in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to
convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father
had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before
the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of
God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned;
and that He had given no commands but what it was joy for the heavenly
host to execute. They urged that Christ’s receiving special honor from the
Father, in the presence of the angels, did not detract from the honor that
Lucifer had heretofore received. The angels wept. They anxiously sought
to move him to renounce his wicked design and yield sub
