April 29: EXPLORING AN ANCIENT MYSTERY (part 3)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought. Revelation 12:7
Long before Absalom began his smear campaign against his father David at the gate of Jerusalem, similar events took place in a royal kingdom that we call Heaven. Before the above-mentioned war broke out, the handsome Lucifer circulated among the angels, talking with them. Beneath these conversations was an underlying wish in his heart for self-exaltation that he could have dismissed, but instead cultivated. Lucifer desired the worship that is due only to God!
There are clues in Scripture about the leading roles of this most beautiful angel. He was probably the leader of the angelic choir. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created (Ezekiel 28:13c). This is also a clue regarding the power of music to positively or negatively shape a person’s thinking. Can there be any doubt that our archenemy uses many genres of music to draw us away from God?
Lucifer was the anointed cherub who covers (v.14a). This describes him as the guardian anointed by God to cover the law of God. This means he kept it, until he didn’t . . . Apparently, after he was expelled from heaven, two covering angels were assigned that role (see Exodus 25:18-21). The throne of God – symbolized by the ark of the covenant on earth (see 2 Chronicles 5:7) and seen by John the Apostle in heaven (Revelation 11:19) – contains God’s holy, unchanging Law. This is the foundation of His government, for God is love (1 John 4:8; see also Romans 13:10).
It is important to understand that the word translated war in the original Greek is polemia, meaning a war of words. The modern word politics finds its root in this word. Technically, it is meant to mean civilized debate. However, Ezekiel exposes the anointed cherub as the father of propaganda, or trading. The lies about God spread by Lucifer were generated in abundance: By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within (Ezekiel 28:16a; see also v.18). These lies were so convincing that a third of the angels literally traded them for the truth!
When Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, an angel explained to Joseph (Matthew 1:20) this conception: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (v.21) But before being born as a human baby, He was known as Michael, which means Who Is As God. This had been His name from eternity past. We do not know how many ages and eons passed before the cultivation of selfishness in the heart of Lucifer spilled over and influenced other angels. But of this we can be sure: God’s universe is a universe of law and order. The great principles we know as The Ten Commandments are woven into creation by the Creator. To break them brings undesirable results. But they cannot be kept by compulsion. Only love for God yields the fruit of obedience. As we will see, Lucifer’s love for himself grew greater than his love for God… so much so that love for God was tragically snuffed out. The lies of Lucifer to his fellow angels openly demonstrate that he did not love them either.
…and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. Revelation 12:7b-8