Page 52 - BV16

52 Hope of Israel Mail Bag

be a GREAT EXALTATION. The context of Philippians have taken the soured and embittered Lucifer to turn mil-
2:6-7 is the HUMILITY of Yeshua the Messiah who did lions of holy angels into resentment, bitterness, disloyalty,
not think it a thing to be seized to be considered equal with and finally open and vicious rebellion. It could have taken
YEHOVAH God, even though he was the son of hundreds, thousands or millions of years. THIS WAS
YEHOVAH. This scripture in NO WAY proves that ALL BEFORE THE FIRST HUMAN WAS CREATED.”
Yeshua had once “pre-existed” as a God-being. Instead, it
provides us with another example of the depth of character “All this happened after the original creation of
of your savior -- the first-born son of YEHOVAH -- who the earth, described in verse 1 of Genesis 1. Verse 2 of this
set the utmost example of humility for us his brothers and creation chapter describes a condition resulting from this
sisters. sin of the angels. The events described in verse 2, there-
fore, may have occurred millions of years after the original
Luke 10:18 creation of the earth.”

This is an interesting scripture! It reads: “And he “The earth, therefore, may have been created mil-
[Yeshua] said to them, ‘I SAW Satan fall like lightning lions of years ago. But continue this passage in Ezekiel 28:
from heaven’” (NKJV). Many people in the Churches of ‘By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the
God believe this “fall” of Satan refers BACK to Isaiah 14 midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: there-
and Ezekiel 28 and, according to them, takes place in some fore I WILL CAST THEE AS PROFANE OUT OF THE
primordial time. Notice Isaiah 14:12-15: “How YOU ARE MOUNTAIN OF GOD....I will CAST THEE TO THE
FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O Lucifer, son of the morn- GROUND...’ As a result, the earth came to the condition
ing! How you are CUT DOWN TO THE GROUND, you briefly described in Genesis 1:2. Lucifer was created a per-
who weakened the nations! For you have said in your fect brinier of LIGHT. Now he became author of
heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne DARKNESS, error, confusion and evil” (pps.
above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will as- Now since it is assumed that this casting down of
cend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Lucifer to the earth occurred millions -- maybe billions --
Most High.’ Yet you shall BE BROUGHT DOWN to of years ago and, according to Luke 10:18 Yeshua “saw
Scheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” Talking about the Satan fall like lightning from heaven,” then Yeshua must
same being we find written, in Ezekiel 28:16-17, the fol- have “pre-existed” to witness this epochal event! But is
lowing: “Therefore I CAST YOU as a profane thing OUT this really true? Did this event happen way back in the
of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering mists of time? There is some indication within these scrip-
cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones....I CAST YOU tures themselves that Lucifer’s fall occurred a lot later than
TO THE GROUND, I laid you before kings, that they has been assumed. Notice Isaiah 14:12: “How you are cut
might gaze at you.” down to the ground, YOU WHO WEAKENED THE
NATIONS!” How could this apply if Lucifer/Satan was
Regarding the verses in Isaiah 14, Herbert W. “cut down to the ground” BEFORE there were any nations
Armstrong, in his book Mystery of the Ages, has this to on the earth? Also notice Ezekiel 28:17: “I cast you to the
say: “The name Lucifer means ‘Shining STAR of the ground, I LAID YOU BEFORE KINGS, THAT THEY
dawn,’ or ‘Brinier of light,’ as God first created him....Lu- MIGHT GAZE AT YOU.” Then, in verse 18: “And I
cifer was the supreme masterpiece of God’s creative turned you to ashes upon the earth IN THE SIGHT OF
power, as an individually created being, threatening, as a ALL WHO SAW YOU. ALL WHO KNEW YOU
Frankenstein monster, to destroy his own maker -- and as- AMONG THE PEOPLES ARE ASTONISHED AT
sume all his powers to rule the whole universe...Isaiah YOU.” Once again, this indicates that Satan’s fall oc-
14:12-14 applies to a time PRIOR TO THE CREATION curred within historic times.
OF THE FIRST HUMAN, ADAM.” Regarding Ezekiel
28, Armstrong has this to say: “But think how long it must

The Berean Voice July-August 2002