1 The Fall of Lucifer The Fall of the Christian Church and

2 To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10 NKJV)

3 What we do is observed in heavenly places, and the manifold wisdom of God is made known there by what we do here.

4 In other words, we are like a spectacle or something to be watched: For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. (1Corinthians 4:9)

5 So the universe is looking down on us to see how we uplift God before others and how we live as Christians, but we also have the great privilege of looking into heavenly places.

6 God has given us information that takes us back in time. The universe and we can see what is going on at this moment, but we can also look backwards to things that happened long before we were born. We can look back past the Wright brothers first flights, for example:

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10 and past the time of the first automobiles

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12 past the time of the Revolutionary War

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14 and past the time of the seven churches of Revelation

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17 God has given us information that takes us through space past the time of the creation of man...

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21 to the time when Lucifer abode in heaven.

22 In heaven, Lucifer was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to Jesus himself. His countenance was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. a high and exalted angel, next in honor to Jesus himself. His countenance was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. 22

23 His form was perfect, his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than the light around other angels. he was envious of Christ and gradually assumed command which was Christ’s alone. His form was perfect, his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than the light around other angels. he was envious of Christ and gradually assumed command which was Christ’s alone. BUT 23

24 had the pre-eminence of all the angelic host, and he was one with the Father before the angels were created. had the pre-eminence of all the angelic host, and he was one with the Father before the angels were created. However, Jesus So 24

25 the Father (called the great Creator in The Story of Redemption) gathered all the angels together and in their presence conferred special honor on Jesus. Jesus was seated with the Father on the throne. The Father told the angels that he had decided that Christ, his Son, should be equal with him, so that wherever the Son was present, it was as if the Father were present. gathered all the angels together and in their presence conferred special honor on Jesus. Jesus was seated with the Father on the throne. The Father told the angels that he had decided that Christ, his Son, should be equal with him, so that wherever the Son was present, it was as if the Father were present. 25

26 The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the Father’s own word. The Father had invested his Son with authority to command the heavenly host, and his Son would work with him in the creation of earth and every living thing on the earth. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the Father’s own word. The Father had invested his Son with authority to command the heavenly host, and his Son would work with him in the creation of earth and every living thing on the earth. 26

27 His Son would carry out his will and his purposes and would do nothing of himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in him. this made Lucifer jealous, envious, and full of hate for Jesus because His Son would carry out his will and his purposes and would do nothing of himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in him. this made Lucifer jealous, envious, and full of hate for Jesus because And 27

28 he was not taken into special counsel with the Father about his plans, but Jesus was. Lucifer did not understand, and was not permitted to know, the purposes of God, but Jesus was. Why should Christ be so honored above him? he was not taken into special counsel with the Father about his plans, but Jesus was. Lucifer did not understand, and was not permitted to know, the purposes of God, but Jesus was. Why should Christ be so honored above him? 28

29 Lucifer concealed his real purpose (remember he is the father of lies) and called the angelic host together. He told them their sweet liberty was at an end because now a ruler had been appointed over them.

30 And he, Lucifer, was not going to stand for it; he would never again bow down to Christ. Instead, he would take the honor that was due him and would be the commander of all who would submit to him and obey his voice!

31 Amazing! He had just said their liberty was at an end because they had a ruler (Jesus) appointed over them, and now he said that he should be their commander and that they should submit to him and obey his voice! Couldn’t the angels understand that his reasoning was illogical and that he was proposing, in principle, the same thing he had just condemned?!

32 Nevertheless, many of the angels listened to and agreed with him.

33 They were not happy because they could not look into the Father’s wisdom and understand his purposes in exalting Jesus and in endowing him with unlimited power and command. So they rebelled against the authority of Jesus.

34 And there... was war... in heaven.

35 Lucifer denounced the loyal angels as slaves and promised a better government for them, full of freedom. He flattered himself that all the angels would eventually side with him and that he would be equal with God himself. Lucifer denounced the loyal angels as slaves and promised a better government for them, full of freedom. He flattered himself that all the angels would eventually side with him and that he would be equal with God himself. 35

36 Every angel had to choose on which side to fight—the side of Christ or the side of Lucifer.

37 Jesus and his angels won the battle, and Satan and the angels who sided with him were cast out of heaven.

38 When Satan was cast out of heaven, his happiness disappeared. The wicked angels cast out with him became gloomy and despairing. They argued with one another. Satan realized the terrible results of his rebellion. He shuddered and trembled as he thought about what he had done. His mighty frame shook as tree in a storm.

39 He asked Jesus to let him back into heaven, but Jesus could not do that because even though Satan was sorry for the consequences of his actions, he was not sorry for having done them in the first place. He was not sorry for rebelling against God’s law.

40 What he did next shows his heart of rebellion had not changed and that he wasn’t really sorry. He could not go into heaven, so he stood at the gates of heaven, and made fun of the good angels as they went in and out of heaven and tried to get them to argue with him. He also decided to destroy the happiness of Adam and Eve.

41 And we know the rest of the story, but Satan did not stop with Adam and Eve. He continues his war against us, and he has fought against the Christian church since its beginning.

42 The Jews and the Romans attacked the Christians in the early years of Christianity, and since then other religions have denounced and persecuted Christians even to this day.

43 Why? Satan is behind it all. His hatred of God began in heaven and has only grown more intense and mean since then. Abel was the first martyr for God. Do you know who is next mentioned in the Bible as dying for his or her faith?

44 Credits: Slide 7 by “G” jewels g is grandma at flickr Slides 8 and 9 by Cliff at flickr Slide 11 by Mark Robinson at flickr Slide 13 by Carolyn Williams at flickr Slide 15 by topquark 22 at flickr