Crisis
in Heaven
Stephen
Terry
Commentary
for the January 2, 2016 Sabbath School Lesson
“He
replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18, NIV
One does not have to be very old to discover that there
is something very wrong with our planet. Each child is born with pain and
blood, and this sets the tone of our lives as we are hurt repeatedly. In spite
of all our parents might do to shelter us, we become accustomed to receiving
pain, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, we also become far too
adept at using pain to hurt and control others. When others resist that
control, we may use stinging words to cajole their co-operation and failing
that, we may begin to use physical pain as a stronger means of imposing our
will. These behaviors early manifest themselves in the child’s home, on the
playground, and even at school. While wise and understanding parents will seek
to curb those desires, some parents have not learned to curb them in their own
hearts. In fact, we are told that some degree of this darkness taints every
heart.[i] If we are honest with
ourselves, we may recognize times when our motives have fallen short of
altruism.
The questions naturally arise, “Why is there so much
evil? Why is pain and suffering so much a part of our lives?” For the
secularist, this may be explained as a part of the painful process of evolving
to a higher plane of morality made possible by the development of an
enlightened self-interest. That self-interest is said to be based on the
discovery that what benefits others also benefits us.[ii] Strangely, while this may
be a secular perspective, it bears close parallels with the Golden Rule which
would have us treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated. This rule seems
to have its derivation not from some secular fount, but in the Bible in the
Sermon on the Mount.[iii]
Christians have struggled to understand the existence of
evil for a very long time. In turning to the Bible, they may discover how it
came to exist and where it originated, but the mystery of why it came to exist
at all seems to be hidden in the heart of the one who first entertained the
idea of evil. In a universe where all was honesty and light, this being created
deception and lying.[iv]
We have become so accustomed to the false and fake that it may be hard for us
to envision a world where such things did not exist. In that environment, if
someone lied to you, why would you not believe it? Even today, we acknowledge
the naiveté of those who have not been exposed to much
evil and their greater susceptibility to it as a result. Perhaps raised in a
loving home where they did not have to compete with selfish individuals for love
and attention, they may not have needed to develop the discernment that allows
one to watch for the possibility of selfish ulterior motives in others. This
can make survival in a world based on deception and selfishness very
challenging to thrive in.
Sadly, this problem can go both ways. The child who
grows to adulthood in a world where much is based on selfishness, lies, and
deception may find it very hard to trust the motives of others even if they are
no longer living in such base conditions. For instance, one may find it
extremely challenging to learn to trust not only others but God as well, even
after coming to Him in repentance and surrender. The degree to which this is
true may be directly proportional to the amount of pain one has suffered at the
hands of others. This may also be difficult for those in the household of faith
who find their motives questioned and challenged by the newcomer. These issues
may be hard to entirely overcome but may best be dealt with using patience,
love, and understanding. In order for trust to be built, it must be tested and
found to be secure. Naturally, those who find their motives questioned, should perhaps
not take it personally, recognizing that it is part of that trust-building
process.
We may need to recognize that we are each not the source
of evil in the world but rather are all traumatized by it, some more than
others. When we recognize that we are not enemies but fellow victims, we may
begin to find healing. Perhaps in order to do that, we need to understand where
that unexpected origin of evil occurred. Surprisingly, the Bible tells us that
evil came from heaven of all places.
We are told that it originated in the heart of one
being, Lucifer. Who was he? The Bible says that he was one of the covering
cherubs of God,[v]
a being not only highly honored, but very beautiful and used to wielding power
commensurate with his position. Mysteriously, at some point, all of that beauty
and power began to produce corruption. Working secretly at first, he may have begun
to insinuate doubts about God’s character into the hearts of other angels,
angels who may have had great personal loyalty to Lucifer because of long and
close association. Because lies were unknown, they would have had little reason
to question what he may have been telling them, and his exalted position may
have lent credence to his words. In any case, however he may have accomplished
it, eventually a third of the angels[vi] aligned themselves with
Lucifer, who became known as the Devil and Satan,[vii] against God. At that
point, open warfare broke out in heaven and Lucifer leading his army made war against
the hosts of heaven led by Michael. The Devil lost the contest and was cast out
into the Earth.[viii]
Once here, even though the Earth had been given to
mankind,[ix] the Devil soon usurped
man’s dominion. Acting through the agency of a serpent, he convinced Adam and
Eve to transfer their trust from God to him.[x] When they did that, then
the Devil became the de facto ruler of this planet, and Earth became the stage
where the universe could see the great controversy between the Devil and God
play out.
Lucifer had asserted that he could introduce better
government than could be expected from God. Had he usurped God’s authority in
heaven that would have been the theatre where his principles would have been
acted out. However, that would have jeopardized the universe and all of its
inhabitants. Earth has instead served as a surrogate for allowing those
principles to be demonstrated. The pain and misery that has ensued has revealed
the failure of the rebellion to secure peace and happiness for those ruled by
it. Instead of condemning God’s rule as tyrannical and Satan’s as liberating,
we have instead seen that the Devil has promoted only selfishness while God has
demonstrated self-sacrifice to such a degree that Jesus died on a cruel cross, tormented
by the so-called liberator and his minions in public display of the real
principles behind Lucifer’s rebellion.
So what then? Are we now condemned to live out our lives
in this charnel house of sin with no hope or future? God tells us that there
remains a hope.[xi]
That hope became possible because of a self-sacrificing act, a death upon a
cross. Far from being that condemnatory judge that Satan and many others since
have painted God to be, Jesus revealed Him to be a rescuer, a saver of the lost
who would go to any lengths to deliver those who wish from the chains of slavery
to selfish wickedness.[xii] Just as that great,
ancient battle in heaven freed that celestial dominion from the threat of evil,
so the cross of Christ has provided the freedom and determined the victory for
those who would claim it here in this earthly domain.
The question, dear reader, is this. Where do you stand
in this great controversy between good and evil? Are you willing to set aside selfish
desires and actions in favor of the selflessness demonstrated by Jesus
Christ? Can you accept that the pain and
suffering of this world is not all there is? Can you believe in and accept a
God who loves you totally, a God who would not stop even at His own death to
provide a way of escape for you? In spite of all the lies of this world, God
offers the truth in Jesus.[xiii] The Devil would have us
believe there is no God and that everything in the Bible is simply false
superstitions. The thought that someone might find truth and hope and even
discover the God who truly exists scares him to no end.
I invite you to reach out to God. Take a moment to ask
Him to reveal Himself to you. Invite Him to take your hand and guide you into
truth. You will discover not only hope and a future but a beautiful life of honesty
and love, things critically lacking for those who choose to remain under
Lucifer’s control. That new life can be yours right now simply by asking God.
