For more
information on we encourage you to read the following excerpt from the book,
Patriarchs and Prophets by Ellen White. Chapter 1 - Chap. 1 - Why was Sin
Permitted?, pp. 33-43.
"God is love." 1 John 4:16. His
nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. "The high and
lofty One that inhabiteth eternity," whose "ways are
everlasting," changeth not. With Him "is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning." Isaiah 57:15; Habakkuk 3:6; James 1:17.
Every
manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love...
The history of
the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in
heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is
also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.
The Sovereign of
the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate--a co-worker
who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness
to created beings. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." John
1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal
Father--one in nature, in character, in purpose--the only being that could
enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. "His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace." Isaiah 9:6. His "goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting." Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares concerning Himself:
"The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of
old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When He appointed the foundations of
the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His
delight, rejoicing always before Him." Proverbs 8:22-30.
The Father
wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. "By Him were
all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him."
Colossians 1:16. Angels are God's ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing
from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. But the Son,
the anointed of God, the "express image of His person," "the
brightness of His glory," "upholding all things by the word of His
power," holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3. "A glorious high
throne from the beginning," was the place of His sanctuary (Jeremiah
17:12); "a scepter of righteousness," the scepter of His kingdom.
Hebrews 1:8. "Honor and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in
His sanctuary." Psalm 96:6. Mercy and truth go before His face. Psalm
89:14.
The law of love
being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent
beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of
righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love--service
that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a
forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render
Him voluntary service.
So long as all
created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony
throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill
the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and
showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one
another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the
celestial harmonies. But a change came over this happy state. There was one who
perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated
with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest in
power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, "son of the
morning," was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. He stood
in the presence of the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glory
enshrouding the eternal God rested upon him. "Thus saith the Lord God;
Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been
in
Little by little
Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. The Scripture says,
"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Ezekiel 28:17. "Thou hast said
in thine heart, . . . I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. . . . I
will be like the Most High." Isaiah 14:13, 14. Though all his glory was
from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself. Not
content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured
to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God
supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his
endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And coveting the glory
with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this prince of angels
aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.
Now the perfect
harmony of heaven was broken. Lucifer's disposition to serve himself instead of
his Creator aroused a feeling of apprehension when observed by those who
considered that the glory of God should be supreme. In heavenly council the
angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness,
the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature
of His law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing
from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the
warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance.
Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more
determined.
To dispute the
supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeaching the wisdom and love of the
Creator, had become the purpose of this prince of angels. To this object he was
about to bend the energies of that master mind, which, next to Christ's, was
first among the hosts of God. But He who would have the will of all His
creatures free, left none unguarded to the bewildering sophistry by which
rebellion would seek to justify itself. Before the great contest should open,
all were to have a clear presentation of His will, whose wisdom and goodness
were the spring of all their joy.
The King of the
universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He
might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained
to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father's throne, and the glory
of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the
holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng--"ten thousand times ten thousand,
and thousands of thousands" (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels,
as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the
presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King
declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into
His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His
will. The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the
hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance
were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the
earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or
exaltation for Himself contrary to God's plan, but would exalt the Father's
glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.
The angels
joyfully acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and prostrating themselves
before Him, poured out their love and adoration. Lucifer bowed with them, but
in his heart there was a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice, and loyalty
were struggling against envy and jealousy. The influence of the holy angels
seemed for a time to carry him with them. As songs of praise ascended in
melodious strains, swelled by thousands of glad voices, the spirit of evil
seemed vanquished; unutterable love thrilled his entire being; his soul went
out, in harmony with the sinless worshippers, in love to the Father and the
Son. But again he was filled with pride in his own glory. His desire for
supremacy returned, and envy of Christ was once more indulged. The high honors
conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated as God's special gift, and
therefore, called forth no gratitude to his Creator. He gloried in his
brightness and exaltation and aspired to be equal with God. He was beloved and
reverenced by the heavenly host, angels delighted to execute his commands, and
he was clothed with wisdom and glory above them all. Yet the Son of God was
exalted above him, as one in power and authority with the Father. He shared the
Father's counsels, while Lucifer did not thus enter into the purposes of God.
"Why," questioned this mighty angel, "should Christ have the
supremacy? Why is He honored above Lucifer?"
Leaving his place
in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the
spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and
for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.
He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings,
intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the
worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own
wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor
to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for
God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father
was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also
entitled to reverence and honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to
his true, exalted position, great good would accrue to the entire host of
heaven; for it was his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the
liberty which they had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler
had been appointed them, and to His authority all must pay homage. Such were
the subtle deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were fast obtaining in
the heavenly courts.
There had been no
change in the position or authority of Christ. Lucifer's envy and
misrepresentation and his claims to equality with Christ had made necessary a
statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had been the same
from the beginning. Many of the angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer's
deceptions.
Taking advantage
of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command,
he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent
that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in
a false light--misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and
dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their
feelings; then these expressions were repeated by him when it would serve his
purpose, as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the
government of God. While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged
that changes in the order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability
of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of
God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him,
he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile
disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and
rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to
promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace.
The spirit of
dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. While there was no
open outbreak, division of feeling imperceptibly grew up among the angels.
There were some who looked with favor upon Lucifer's insinuations against the
government of God. Although they had heretofore been in perfect harmony with
the order which God had established, they were now discontented and unhappy
because they could not penetrate His unsearchable counsels; they were
dissatisfied with His purpose in exalting Christ. These stood ready to second
Lucifer's demand for equal authority with the Son of God. But angels who were
loyal and true maintained the wisdom and justice of the divine decree and
endeavored to reconcile this disaffected being to the will of God. Christ was
the Son of God; He had been one with Him before the angels were called into
existence. He had ever stood at the right hand of the Father; His supremacy, so
full of blessing to all who came under its benignant control, had not
heretofore been questioned. The harmony of heaven had never been interrupted;
wherefore should there now be discord? The loyal angels could see only terrible
consequences from this dissension, and with earnest entreaty they counseled the
disaffected ones to renounce their purpose and prove themselves loyal to God by
fidelity to His government.
In great mercy, according to His divine
character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and
disaffection had never before been known in heaven. It was a new element,
strange, mysterious, unaccountable. Lucifer himself had not at first been
acquainted with the real nature of his feelings; for a time he had feared to
express the workings and imaginings of his mind; yet he did not dismiss them.
He did not see whither he was drifting. But such efforts as infinite love and
wisdom only could devise, were made to convince him of his error. His
disaffection was proved to be without cause, and he was made to see what would
be the result of persisting in revolt. Lucifer was convinced that he was in the
wrong. He saw that "the Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all
His works" (Psalm 145:17); that the divine statutes are just, and that he
ought to acknowledge them as such before all heaven. Had he done this, he might
have saved himself and many angels. He had not at that time fully cast off his
allegiance to God. Though he had left his position as covering cherub, yet if
he had been willing to return to God, acknowledging the Creator's wisdom, and
satisfied to fill the place appointed him in God's great plan, he would have
been reinstated in his office. The time had come for a final decision; he must
fully yield to the divine sovereignty or place himself in open rebellion. He
nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him. It was too great
a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to confess that he had been
in error, that his imaginings were false, and to yield to the authority which
he had been working to prove unjust.
A compassionate
Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw
them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His
mercy was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the long-suffering of God as an
evidence of his own superiority, an indication that the King of the universe
would yet accede to his terms. If the angels would stand firmly with him, he
declared, they could yet gain all that they desired. He persistently defended
his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against
his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, "the light bearer," the sharer
of God's glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan,
"the adversary" of God and holy beings and the destroyer of those
whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardianship.
Rejecting with
disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he denounced them as
deluded slaves. The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice
both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no
longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again
acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. He had determined to claim the honor which
should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his
followers; and he promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better
government, under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels
signified their purpose to accept him as their leader. Flattered by the favor
with which his advances were received, he hoped to win all the angels to his side,
to become equal with God Himself, and to be obeyed by the entire host of
heaven.
Still the loyal
angels urged him and his sympathizers to submit to God; and they set before
them the inevitable result should they refuse: He who had created them could
overthrow their power and signally punish their rebellious daring. No angel
could successfully oppose the law of God, which was as sacred as Himself. They
warned all to close their ears against Lucifer's deceptive reasoning, and urged
him and his followers to seek the presence of God without delay and confess the
error of questioning His wisdom and authority.
Many were
disposed to heed this counsel, to repent of their disaffection, and seek to be
again received into favor with the Father and His Son. But Lucifer had another
deception ready. The mighty revolter now declared that the angels who had
united with him had gone too far to return; that he was acquainted with the
divine law, and knew that God would not forgive. He declared that all who
should submit to the authority of Heaven would be stripped of their honor,
degraded from their position. For himself, he was determined never again to
acknowledge the authority of Christ. The only course remaining for him and his
followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights
which had not been willingly accorded them.
So far as Satan
himself was concerned, it was true that he had now gone too far to return. But
not so with those who had been blinded by his deceptions. To them the counsel
and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope; and had they heeded
the warning, they might have broken away from the snare of Satan. But pride,
love for their leader, and the desire for unrestricted freedom were permitted
to bear sway, and the pleadings of divine love and mercy were finally
rejected.
God permitted
Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into
active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed, that their
true nature and tendency might be seen by all. Lucifer, as the anointed cherub,
had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his
influence over them was strong. God's government included not only the
inhabitants of heaven, but of all the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer
had concluded that if he could carry the angels of heaven with him in
rebellion, he could carry also all the worlds. He had artfully presented his
side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His
power to deceive was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood,
he had gained an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it
was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work. Until
fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; his
disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not
fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading.
Lucifer had at
first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood uncommitted. The
angels whom he could not bring fully to his side, he accused of indifference to
the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing, he
charged upon the loyal angels. It was his policy to perplex with subtle
arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he
shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest
statements of Jehovah. And his high position, so closely connected with the
divine government, gave greater force to his representations.
God could employ
only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could
use what God could not--flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word
of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not
just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and
obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself.
It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and
of all the worlds, that God's government is just, His law perfect. Satan had
made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe.
The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by
all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works.
The discord which
his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God.
All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed
that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore
God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working
out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Satan
had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe
must see the deceiver unmasked.
Even when he was
cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the
service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must
rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of
heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or
consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction
of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have
served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would
not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been
utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages,
he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine
government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that
the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever
placed beyond all question.
Satan's rebellion
was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages--a perpetual
testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of
Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the
fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the
existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures
He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to
be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being
deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin,
and suffering its penalty.
He that ruleth in
the heavens is the one who sees the end from the beginning--the one before whom
the mysteries of the past and the future are alike outspread, and who, beyond
the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, beholds the accomplishment
of His own purposes of love and blessing. Though "clouds and darkness are
round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His
throne." Psalm 97:2, R.V. And this the inhabitants of the universe, both
loyal and disloyal, will one day understand. "His work is perfect: for all
His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is
He." Deuteronomy 32:4.