12/06/2024
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How Did Lucifer Fall and Become Satan?"
"Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone."
"This pride represents the actual beginning of sin in the universe—preceding the fall of the human Adam by an indeterminate time."
Ron Rhodes | President of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries
Updated - Sep 25, 2024
"How Did Lucifer Fall and Become Satan?"
"The story of Lucifer’s fall is described in two key Old Testament chapters—Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14."
"Let’s briefly look at both of these."
"It would seem from the context of Ezekiel 28 that the first ten verses of this chapter are dealing with a human leader. Then, starting in verse 11 and on through verse 19, Lucifer is the focus of the discussion:"
"Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty."
"You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings."
"On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub."
"I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you."
"In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire."
"Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor."
"I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you."
"All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever." (Ezekiel 28:11-19)."
"The Fall of Lucifer in the Bible
What is the rationale for the conclusion that these latter verses refer to the fall of Lucifer? Whereas the first ten verses in this chapter speak about the ruler of Tyre (who was condemned for claiming to be a god though he was just a man), the discussion moves to the king of Tyre starting in verse 11."
"Many scholars believe that though there was a human “ruler” of Tyre, the real “king” of Tyre was Satan, for it was he who was ultimately at work in this anti-God city and it was he who worked through the human ruler of the city."
"Some have suggested that these verses may actually be dealing with a human king of Tyre who was empowered by Satan."
"Perhaps the historic king of Tyre was a tool of Satan, possibly even indwelt by him."
"In describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him."
"Now, there are things that are true of this “king” that—at least ultimately—can not be said to be true of human beings. For example, the king is portrayed as having a different nature from man (he is a cherub, verse 14); he had a different position from man (he was blameless and sinless, verse 15); he was in a different realm from man (the holy mount of God, verses 13,14); he received a different judgment from man (he was cast out of the mountain of God and thrown to the earth, verse 16); and the superlatives used to describe him don’t seem to fit that of a normal human being (“full of wisdom,” “perfect in beauty,” and having “the seal of perfection,” verse 12 NASB)."
"Who Is Lucifer and Why Did He Rebel?
- - Our text tells us that this king was a created being and left the creative hand of God in a perfect state (Ezekiel 28:12-15)."
"And he remained perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15b)."
"What was this iniquity?"
"We read in Ezekiel 28:17, “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”
"Lucifer apparently became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone."
"The sin that corrupted Lucifer was self-generated pride."
