An argument is given that says that Satan and the demons could not have fallen so quickly after their creation. Its proponents insist on there being quite a length of time before pride was found in Lucifer's heart.
Why? Barely anyone questions the idea that Adam and Eve fell quickly?
There is no specific text given in Scripture which details the exact amount of time in which this tragic event took place. All we know for sure is that the angels were created on Day 1 (Job 38:4-7) and that they did not fall into sin until after Day 6 (Genesis 1:31; 2:1).
Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us a glimpse into the pride that consumed him. Here Satan is seen speaking with an authoritative form of arrogance as he by some stretch of the imagination assumes that he can actually dethrone the Most High. Ha!
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."
The fact that Satan even thought this possible shows a clear lack of understanding of who God is. I believe that his famous "I will" declaration is an implication of how quickly after his creation he must have fallen. If he truly realized God's infinite being, then he never would have made such a false statement. I am not saying that he wouldn't have fallen, but I am saying that he would have used different terminology.
Emperors and kings have made such proud proclamations only to their demise. They did not truly realize the true power of the Almighty. Their idea of a god or gods was that of the feeble and fickle so called deities which supposedly dwelled on mountain tops like Olympus. These gods could only exist in one place at a time, were severely lacking in knowledge into certain realms of life, and could even be overthrown by another of equal, greater, or even lesser power if the circumstances gave rise to the opportunity.
Not so with the true God. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1), the all-intelligent and all-wise God (Psalm 139:1-4), and the only One who alone exists throughout all moments of time (Psalm 90:2) and space (Psalm 139:7) simultaneously. He is the Owner of all things (Gen. 1) and the Ultimate Authority who sovereignly rules over all creation (Psalm 139:16). Infinite power belongs solely to Him (Matt. 19:26) and He will forever remain the same unchangeable God (Psalm 102:27).
Five times Satan foolishly declared war on God with his arrogant I will statements. What he did not yet realize, however, was that his proud willingness would stand absolutely no chance against the Great I AM!
Satan said, "I will!" God is like, "I AM!"
Satan didn't stand a chance. One pastor said it like this: "God is Creator and Satan is creation. This is not war, this is domination!"
Though the account is recorded in Isaiah which was written twenty-seven hundred years ago, the tragic event occurred shortly after Day 6 of the Genesis creation week. Since that time he has grown in his hatred for God, yet he has always recognized his place. Throughout the remainder of Scripture he is never again seen foolishly thinking he could actually take on the Most High God because even he knows that he is a defeated foe.
For him to make such an assumption implies that his knowledge of God at the time was only of God's physical manifestation which walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. Satan was completely blinded to the reality that God was everywhere present throughout time and space and that not even the universe could contain Him. If he would have known truly how majestic and magnificent God is, then he would have realized that his war was an impossible and nonsensical fool's errand.
Concluding Thoughts
Therefore it is highly unlikely that Satan would have lasted very long in the direct presence of God. We know that he made it through the first week, but given the rise and fall of Adam and Eve and key Biblical texts I believe we can safely conclude that not too long after Day 6 he reasoned within himself that he, a created being, could somehow make himself greater. Where was even a little extra power going to come from? There is no source of power other than God Himself. Satan is a fool and Jesus is Greater!
No comments:
Post a Comment