Sosoma Jr
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 7, 2020
- 312
- 281
WAR IN HEAVEN.
Our world is at the center of a huge battle between good and evil. This battle involves the entire universe. It began with one angel's rebellion. The argument is over the character of God.
THE BEGINNING OF EVIL.
We've learned that we, as humans, can make choices and think for ourselves. But the Bible teaches that we are not the only beings who can do this. From Genesis to Revelation we read about a group of beings called angels. The Bible tells us that the pain in our world began with them:
"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought. . . . Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (Revelation 12:7, 12).
One of angels was "Lucifer," which means bearer of light. God gave Lucifer this special name to show his character and mission. He was to work in a very close position with God. This way he would teach his fellow angels about God's character. Lucifer was "perfect in all" his "ways" (his patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior), "until iniquity was found in". him. At this point he began to bear the name "Satan," which means adversary or enemy. People joke about Satan and picture him as a red guy with horns and a pitchfork. But the Scriptures say Satan is a very real being. He us super powerful, intelligent, and beautiful. He is also the one who started all the evil that hurts our world.
Read and discuss Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:14-19. On a separate sheet of Bible, describe Lucifer's character.
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son if the morning! How you are cut down to the to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'" (Isaiah 14:12-14).
" 'You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever ' "(Ezekiel 28:14-19).
Lucifer wanted to exalt or honor himself. This desire was at the center of the evil that he chose to feed. It led to his aim to push God from the hearts of the other angels and take hold of their loyalty. As he fed Hus self-centeredness, he stopped showing the light of God's character. He began to accuse God of having selfish motives like his own. In the passage from Isaiah, Lucifer's goal to exalt himself is followed with, " I will be like the Most High." So Lucifer was saying God was the proud one. This way, Lucifer could excuse his own selfishness. By the making God look selfish, he could wear away at the angels' trust in God. He could start a rebellion.
Thus, the Bible says, "And war broke out in heaven. . . " (Revelation 12:7).
The word here translated "war" is polemos in the Greek, which is related to words like polemic (which means an argument against an idea or thought) and politics. This meaning clues us in on what kind of "war" Satan started against God. It was not mainly a war fought with fists or guns. It was political war. It was a war fought with rumors. It was a plan to destroy God's character. Satan waged his war by spreading lies about who God is at heart. This is why he I'd described as the one who "deceives the whole world" and as "a liar and the father of it" (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44).
Put the following thoughts together. You will get a deeper look into Lucifer's revolt. Ezekiel says that Lucifer was cast out of heaven because he "sinned" (Ezekiel 28:16). John defines sin as "lawlessness" (1 John 3:4). And Paul defines God's law as "love" (Romans 13:10).
Clearly, then, Lucifer rebelled against God's law. And if he rebelled against God's law, he rebelled against God's love. He raised charges against God and against the law of love God uses to run the universe. Let's remember the Bible claims that "God is love." So his law is a law that runs by the principles of love:
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).
"Jesus said to him, ' " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: " You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets'" (Matthew 22:37-40).
So we see that Satan has set out to live without love. It serves his purpose, then, to make God look self-centered. He also wants to make God's law look like a list of random rules. He wants us to believe these rules are used to control and aren't actually helpful.
WHY DO EVIL AND SUFFERING EXIST?
At some point in life, everyone asks the most important question: "Why do evil and suffering exist?" In what we've learned about the rebellion of Lucifer, we have a place to start answering that question. Now let's look at some other facts. First, where are only four basic reasons humans have thought of for why evil exists:
1. Naturalism is what we call the atheist worldview. This view says that there is no such thing as right or wrong. All there is, is the natural process or course of life. Suffering is part of that process and is necessary. It gets rid of the weak and makes the strong even stronger.
2. Pantheism is the worldview that says God is in all things and is all things. There is no personal God. Instead, nature itself and the natural processes of life make a divine force. This force is unfeeling. and cold. Evil is seen as a balancing force in nature. Suffering is just the process of life and can't be avoided. As in naturalism, there is nothing other than natural process.
3. Deterministic Theism is the control worldview. This view says that God's main character trait is power and His main goal is control. God chooses and arranges all events. Human beings are simply the creatures He uses to do what He wants. So evil and suffering are, therefore, ordered by God. They are according to His all -powerful will.
4. Benevolent Theism is the relational worldview. This view says that God's main character trait is love. This view also says His main goal is that we would freely choose to love Him back. Evil and suffering are, therefore, the result of creatures misusing free will. Free will has been used for purposes that go against love.
As we've learned, the Bible teaches that God's basic identity is love. So the Scriptures clearly teach the fourth worldview. So if God is love, He must be a relational being. His own life revolves around giving and receiving. And if God is love, then love must be God's goal for us too. And if love is His goal, we must have free will built into us in order for love to exist. Therefore, as we try to figure out why evil is here, a three part equation becomes clear:
The goal of freedom is love. But built into freedom is risk. The risk is that free creatures might choose selfishness instead of love. There's a possibility for horrible pain and danger. God lives within that risk, and we do too.
In the Bible, evil is not a built - in and necessary principle for life. Rather , evil is the work of free creatures gone bad. Angels went first and then humans. Jesus said of the evil in our world, "An enemy has done this" (Matthew 13:18). In other words, God is not the cause of the bad things in our world. Rather, Satan is, with human consent and partnership. This is how Satan's anti- love way of living has been carried out in our world: "God made people good, but they have found all kinds of ways to be bad" (Ecclesiastes 7:29, NCV).
Read and talk about Isaiah 14:15-17. As you do, you'll see that all evil comes from Satan's kingdom. Persecution, slavery, and prejudice are from Satan. Hatred , violence, and abuse are from Satan. Everything that goes against love comes from the principles of Satan's kingdom.
"Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. 'Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: " Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdom, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners? "'" (Isaiah 14:15-17).
In the following passags you'll see that all good things come from God's kingdom. Things that are pure , lovely, and freeing are from God. Things that are noble, healing, and peaceful are from God. Anything joyful, beautiful, and good comes from the principles if God's kingdom.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
This brings us to the final point of the Bible's logic about evil. Evil can't last because it is totally against God's love. So it will eventually be wiped out:
"For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9).
As we continue our study, we will discover God's plan for wiping out evil. We'll see how He's going to restore true love to human hearts. This love will be our only way of living.
GOD BLESS YOU.
Our world is at the center of a huge battle between good and evil. This battle involves the entire universe. It began with one angel's rebellion. The argument is over the character of God.
THE BEGINNING OF EVIL.
We've learned that we, as humans, can make choices and think for ourselves. But the Bible teaches that we are not the only beings who can do this. From Genesis to Revelation we read about a group of beings called angels. The Bible tells us that the pain in our world began with them:
"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought. . . . Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (Revelation 12:7, 12).
One of angels was "Lucifer," which means bearer of light. God gave Lucifer this special name to show his character and mission. He was to work in a very close position with God. This way he would teach his fellow angels about God's character. Lucifer was "perfect in all" his "ways" (his patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior), "until iniquity was found in". him. At this point he began to bear the name "Satan," which means adversary or enemy. People joke about Satan and picture him as a red guy with horns and a pitchfork. But the Scriptures say Satan is a very real being. He us super powerful, intelligent, and beautiful. He is also the one who started all the evil that hurts our world.
Read and discuss Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:14-19. On a separate sheet of Bible, describe Lucifer's character.
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son if the morning! How you are cut down to the to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'" (Isaiah 14:12-14).
" 'You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever ' "(Ezekiel 28:14-19).
Lucifer wanted to exalt or honor himself. This desire was at the center of the evil that he chose to feed. It led to his aim to push God from the hearts of the other angels and take hold of their loyalty. As he fed Hus self-centeredness, he stopped showing the light of God's character. He began to accuse God of having selfish motives like his own. In the passage from Isaiah, Lucifer's goal to exalt himself is followed with, " I will be like the Most High." So Lucifer was saying God was the proud one. This way, Lucifer could excuse his own selfishness. By the making God look selfish, he could wear away at the angels' trust in God. He could start a rebellion.
Thus, the Bible says, "And war broke out in heaven. . . " (Revelation 12:7).
The word here translated "war" is polemos in the Greek, which is related to words like polemic (which means an argument against an idea or thought) and politics. This meaning clues us in on what kind of "war" Satan started against God. It was not mainly a war fought with fists or guns. It was political war. It was a war fought with rumors. It was a plan to destroy God's character. Satan waged his war by spreading lies about who God is at heart. This is why he I'd described as the one who "deceives the whole world" and as "a liar and the father of it" (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44).
Put the following thoughts together. You will get a deeper look into Lucifer's revolt. Ezekiel says that Lucifer was cast out of heaven because he "sinned" (Ezekiel 28:16). John defines sin as "lawlessness" (1 John 3:4). And Paul defines God's law as "love" (Romans 13:10).
Clearly, then, Lucifer rebelled against God's law. And if he rebelled against God's law, he rebelled against God's love. He raised charges against God and against the law of love God uses to run the universe. Let's remember the Bible claims that "God is love." So his law is a law that runs by the principles of love:
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).
"Jesus said to him, ' " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: " You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets'" (Matthew 22:37-40).
So we see that Satan has set out to live without love. It serves his purpose, then, to make God look self-centered. He also wants to make God's law look like a list of random rules. He wants us to believe these rules are used to control and aren't actually helpful.
WHY DO EVIL AND SUFFERING EXIST?
At some point in life, everyone asks the most important question: "Why do evil and suffering exist?" In what we've learned about the rebellion of Lucifer, we have a place to start answering that question. Now let's look at some other facts. First, where are only four basic reasons humans have thought of for why evil exists:
1. Naturalism is what we call the atheist worldview. This view says that there is no such thing as right or wrong. All there is, is the natural process or course of life. Suffering is part of that process and is necessary. It gets rid of the weak and makes the strong even stronger.
2. Pantheism is the worldview that says God is in all things and is all things. There is no personal God. Instead, nature itself and the natural processes of life make a divine force. This force is unfeeling. and cold. Evil is seen as a balancing force in nature. Suffering is just the process of life and can't be avoided. As in naturalism, there is nothing other than natural process.
3. Deterministic Theism is the control worldview. This view says that God's main character trait is power and His main goal is control. God chooses and arranges all events. Human beings are simply the creatures He uses to do what He wants. So evil and suffering are, therefore, ordered by God. They are according to His all -powerful will.
4. Benevolent Theism is the relational worldview. This view says that God's main character trait is love. This view also says His main goal is that we would freely choose to love Him back. Evil and suffering are, therefore, the result of creatures misusing free will. Free will has been used for purposes that go against love.
As we've learned, the Bible teaches that God's basic identity is love. So the Scriptures clearly teach the fourth worldview. So if God is love, He must be a relational being. His own life revolves around giving and receiving. And if God is love, then love must be God's goal for us too. And if love is His goal, we must have free will built into us in order for love to exist. Therefore, as we try to figure out why evil is here, a three part equation becomes clear:
The goal of freedom is love. But built into freedom is risk. The risk is that free creatures might choose selfishness instead of love. There's a possibility for horrible pain and danger. God lives within that risk, and we do too.
In the Bible, evil is not a built - in and necessary principle for life. Rather , evil is the work of free creatures gone bad. Angels went first and then humans. Jesus said of the evil in our world, "An enemy has done this" (Matthew 13:18). In other words, God is not the cause of the bad things in our world. Rather, Satan is, with human consent and partnership. This is how Satan's anti- love way of living has been carried out in our world: "God made people good, but they have found all kinds of ways to be bad" (Ecclesiastes 7:29, NCV).
Read and talk about Isaiah 14:15-17. As you do, you'll see that all evil comes from Satan's kingdom. Persecution, slavery, and prejudice are from Satan. Hatred , violence, and abuse are from Satan. Everything that goes against love comes from the principles of Satan's kingdom.
"Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. 'Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: " Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdom, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners? "'" (Isaiah 14:15-17).
In the following passags you'll see that all good things come from God's kingdom. Things that are pure , lovely, and freeing are from God. Things that are noble, healing, and peaceful are from God. Anything joyful, beautiful, and good comes from the principles if God's kingdom.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
This brings us to the final point of the Bible's logic about evil. Evil can't last because it is totally against God's love. So it will eventually be wiped out:
"For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9).
As we continue our study, we will discover God's plan for wiping out evil. We'll see how He's going to restore true love to human hearts. This love will be our only way of living.
GOD BLESS YOU.