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FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CREATION

 

Ref

 

            What the Bible says

 

Comment

 

John 1:3

 

'Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.' 

These verses affirm that every thing in existence was created by God, that is, by Jesus Christ.

This implies about Satan and demons that

 

[1] they are less than God

 

[2] any power they have is derived and dependent [whether they acknowledge this or not]

[3] they are under the authority of God

 

In Isaiah 40-45 we find numerous references to the transcendence of God so far above all other powers as to be incomparable. There is nothing in existence that comes anywhere near to the magnitude of God’s sovereign power and authority. He alone is God. He is the one Saviour. He is the Almighty Lord and Creator of all that exists. 

1 Cor 8:6

 

'yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live'

Col 1:16

 

'For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.'

Hebrews 1:2

 

'the Son ...through whom he made the universe'

Genesis 1:31

 

'God saw all that he had made, and it was very good'

Some teachers apply this 'very good' to all that God created, not just the earth and its creatures and man. If this is legitimate then this 'very good' also refers to Satan and demons at that time. The anti-God attitudes and actions evident from Genesis 3 onwards do not derive from the nature of Satan and demons as God created them, but, as John Calvin comments, to the corruption of nature.

Isaiah 14:12ff

 

'How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! ….

 

Some scholars confidently assert that this passage refers to the fall of Satan from heaven. Others just as strongly oppose this interpretation. In the KJV 'Lucifer' is used to translate the Hebrew which the NIV translates as 'morning star'. 'Lucifer' is borrowed from the Latin Vulgate translation. There is nothing in the passage that requires it to refer to Satan. In the context is clearly refers to a king of Babylon .

 

On the other hand, many prophetic messages have a double meaning 'one immediate and physical, the other referring to a greater spiritual reality.

 

One argument against this passage referring to Satan is that 'the morning star' is one of the titles of Jesus.

 

Ezekiel 28:1ff

 

A prophecy against the king of Tyre .

 

Many statements made about the king of Tyre could be said equally about Satan, even more clearly than Isaiah 14. This could be another instance of double meaning. Both passages refer to a glorious creature who in an attempt at self-exaltation fell into judgment.

 

2 Peter 2:4

 

'God did not spare the angels when they sinned'

 

These indicate that there was a time when the bad angels were sinless. [It is commonly believed that the fallen angels are the demons/evil spirits]

 

Jude 6

 

'the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home'

 

The above references describing the Order of Creation impact us with two points:

[1] Satan and demons are created beings. Neither is equal with God either in power or in authority. God is the Creator; they are his creatures, the work of his hand. As such they are answerable and accountable to him. Although Satan might aspire to equality with God or even to supremacy, this aspiration can never be achieved, simply because of this fact of creation.

[2] The nature of Satan and demons as we experience them is not their original created nature; nor are the things that they do their original God-given role and responsibilities. They are rebels; they are living contrary to their created nature, expressing the corrupted and rebellious nature they now have.

                             

God does not reveal to us exactly how these creatures, whom he had made very good, happened to become corrupted rebels. If we understand Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to be talking about Satan, we learn that pride and self-exaltation were involved, but this still does not explain why or how Satan became proud and self-exalting, and rebelled against God.