"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" (Isaiah 14:12).
Where did the devil come from? How did such a creature come to be? Did God purposefully create an evil being? The Bible reveals the answers to these questions. They can help us understand why Satan really is the enemy of mankind.
To understand Satan's origin we must go far back in time, before man existed. Genesis 1:1 tells us that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." However, as is usually the case, the Bible doesn't tell the whole story in one or even several verses. We find more details elsewhere in the Bible, in this case in the book of Job.
When Job, because of difficulties he was having, began to question God's judgment, God responded with pointed questions to help him realize he didn't have the wisdom to question God. In His response, in the form of questions to Job, God revealed some details about His creation of earth. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" God asked him. "Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? . . . On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7, NIV).
God here reveals information no man could know, since no man was present at creation. God described the earth at its creation as a dazzlingly beautiful jewel floating in space. The creation events were so magnificent that "all the angels shouted for joy." The angels—spirit beings God had created—already existed when God made the earth. They were united in their joy when God had created the world, singing and shouting in exultation. They were in perfect harmony and agreement at that time.
A beautiful earth becomes a wasteland
Some time after this, however, the situation dramatically changed. Genesis 1:2 tells us that, after its creation, "the earth was without form, and void." This English translation doesn't adequately convey the meaning of the original Hebrew. The words tohu and bohu, translated "without form" and "void," are better translated "waste and void" (Young's Literal Translation).
However, in Isaiah 45:18, God expressly says that He "did not create it [the earth] in vain." Here the same Hebrew word, tohu, is used. If God did not create the earth in a state of "waste and void," how did it come to be in that condition?
Part of the answer is indicated in Genesis 1:2. The Hebrew word hayah, translated "was," can also properly be translated "became," as it is translated in Genesis 2:7 and 19:26. The earth was not created waste and void but became that way at some point after its creation. The Rotherham translation of Genesis 1:2 appropriately reads, "Now the earth had become waste and empty."
God created the earth in such sparkling beauty that the angels were overjoyed at its creation. But something happened to bring it to a condition of devastation and waste. Its original beauty was destroyed. God then reshaped it, forming it into a beautiful home for the first man and woman, as recorded in the remainder of Genesis 1. But the Genesis account does not tell us the entire story. Something else happened between the first two verses of Genesis that is not recorded there.
God does give us additional details of what brought on this condition of confusion and waste in several other chapters of the Bible. In 2 Peter 2 the Bible records several examples of God's judgment for wrongdoing. Verses 5 and 6 discuss the flood of Noah's time, then the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
But before this, in verse 4, we read that "God did not spare the angels who sinned, but thrust them down into Tartarus [a place of restraint], and delivered them into chains of darkness, being reserved for judgment" (Modern King James Version). When did these particular angels sin, and what was their sin?
Again, we must look at other verses to find the answer. Jude 6 gives us additional details: "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these [God] has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day" (NIV).
We saw earlier that at earth's creation all the angels were happy and joyous, singing and shouting together. Obviously, then, at a later time some sinned—destroying the wonderful harmony and cooperation they had once enjoyed. What was the nature of their sin? They "did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home"—they left the place and position God had given them. They rebelled against their Maker, the Creator of the physical universe and the spirit world of angelic beings!
The first war
In Isaiah 14 we find more information. This chapter describes this angelic rebellion and identifies its ringleader. It gives us many important details we could learn of in no other way.
In verse 4 God addresses the "king of Babylon." In Isaiah's time the city-state of Babylon was emerging as the major power in that region of the world. Its king was a warmonger, expanding his empire through brute force. He enslaved, plundered and devastated the nations around him. His philosophy was satanic—acquiring wealth and power at the expense of others, gaining it through violence and bloodshed. This king of Babylon exemplified Satan and his characteristics.
In verse 12 the subject shifts from this physical king to another powerful being, here translated "Lucifer." The original Hebrew word for this being—used only this one time in the Bible—is Heylel, which apparently means "brightness" or "shining one."
Many scholars recognize that the original language here is in the form of a lament, an exclamation of mourning over a great loss. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Msost High'" (verses 12-14).
Who is this being who dared to exalt himself above the stars (angels; Revelation 1:20) of God, to challenge God Himself as ruler of the universe?
In Ezekiel 28 God gives us the answer. This chapter is written much like Isaiah 14. God begins by discussing a human ruler, then shifts to the spiritual power behind the earthly throne—the behind-the-scenes ruler who controls the kingdoms of this world (compare Luke 4:5-7).
In Ezekiel 28:2 God addresses the "prince of Tyre." Tyre, a coastal port city north of ancient Israel on the Mediterranean coast, was famous as a trading center. Its rulers had grown haughty and presumptuous because of their wealth and influence. In verses 6-10 God tells this ruler that because of his arrogance, his might and wealth would fail and he would be overthrown.
But notice in verse 12 that God begins to address "the king of Tyre" rather than the prince. This being is the true ruler, the real power behind the throne.
God's description of this "king of Tyre" makes it clear that He is speaking to no physical human being. ". . . 'You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created" (verses 12-13).
No mortal human could accurately be described as being "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." This being was created—unlike humans who are born rather than created. This being had also been "in Eden, the garden of God." Other than Adam and Eve, no people had been in Eden. God had expelled Adam and Eve, after which He placed an angel there specifically to prevent anyone else from entering (Genesis 3:24).
In the next verse God mentions some of the history of this being. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones" (Ezekiel 28:14).
Fall of a superangel
What do these remarkable statements mean? What is a "cherub who covers"?
Hebrews 8:5 tells us that the tabernacle established by Moses—the portable sanctuary the Israelites carried with them through the desert—was "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (NIV). In Exodus 25:18-20 we find that God instructed the Israelites to make a representation—a physical model—of His throne for the tabernacle they would carry with them in the wilderness. At either side of the "mercy seat," which represented God's throne, was a golden cherub with wings extended to cover the mercy seat. These two cherubim, fashioned out of gold, represented real angelic beings—the great superangels whose wings cover God's throne.
The being God addressed through Ezekiel is called the "cherub who covers," indicating that once he had been one of the great angels depicted in the model of God's throne. God gave these angels the awesome distinction of serving at and covering the very throne of God.
Many other scriptures say that God "dwells between the cherubim," showing that these wondrous creatures accompany and serve Him at His seat of power (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles 13:6; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 37:16). This magnificent being apparently held a position of honor and distinction in God's angelic realm.
This same great cherub is also described as being "on the holy mountain of God." In the Bible, "hills" and "mountains" are often used to symbolize governments (Revelation 17:9-10). Apparently this superangel administered and assisted in the governance of other angels, who number in multiple millions (Daniel 7:9-10).
God also says to this cherub, "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you" (Ezekiel 28:15). Like the description in Isaiah 14, this passage describes a created being, not a human. This being was extraordinary, perfect until he sinned.
". . . You were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones" (verse 16, NIV). This once-marvelous being sinned and was expelled from God's throne, cast away in disgrace.
What was the sin that brought this great angel banishment from God? Isaiah 14:13-14, which we read earlier, gives us the answer: "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars [angels] of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High'" (NIV).
This powerful spirit entity decided to challenge God for control of the universe!
Totally transformed from good to evil
What had been an amazingly beautiful, immensely talented spirit being with great responsibility in God's angelic order became, through his rebellion against Almighty God, a reprehensible, despicable creature. He became Satan—the adversary, slanderer, accuser and destroyer. He became the devil—the enemy of God and humanity!
The immense powers he had used in God's service were turned, not to serve God, but to try to thwart God's purposes. This creature remains an enormously powerful spirit being, but now his powers are used for wicked, destructive ends.
This being became so vain and proud that he thought he should be ruler of the universe. God tells him, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor" (Ezekiel 28:17). His enormous talents and abilities led him to believe he was equal to, if not better than, God Himself. His thinking became corrupted. He rebelled against God and tried to overthrow Him. By his rebellion against his Creator he transformed himself into Satan the devil.
He was not alone in this rebellion. Millions of other angels joined him in rejecting God's authority and leadership. We find this symbolically described in Revelation 12:3-4: "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon . . . His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth . . ." Verse 9 identifies this dragon as Satan. As we saw earlier, the Bible uses stars as a symbol for angels (Revelation 1:20). This apparently indicates that a third of the angels followed Satan in this rebellion.
The Bible refers to these rebellious angels as demons. They are fallen angels—who had plummeted from their purpose of serving God and humanity (Hebrews 1:13-14), reduced to hatred and bitterness toward God and His holy purpose for humanity. In Scripture they are shown to be able not only to influence but possess humans (that is, exercise even more direct control than a human hypnotist could). Such demonic control can often cause people to exhibit violent and self-destructive behavior (Matthew 8:28; 17:14-18; Acts 19:14-16; Luke 8:27-33).
God's servants are not to be fearful or overly anxious about such demonic influence affecting them. Evil spirits are fewer in number and inferior in power to God's faithful angels, who are "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). Christians are to be confident because "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
A strong mind spiritually attuned to God's way of life is the best way to resist demonic influence. Faithful servants of God are to be filled with His Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), enabling them to resist such influence and causing evil spirits to flee (James 4:7). Also, the true ministers of Christ have been given authority over demons, enabling them to cast demons out of those possessed (Matthew 10:1, 8; Mark 6:13, 16:17). After all, God is the ultimate source of power.
