Sin, Satan, and the Submerged Sphere

I previously wrote about the origin of satan and his fall in my articles called The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music and The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician. Then in The Creation Gap Theory, I explained why the gap theory is false according to Scripture. Some people use that erroneous theory to place the timing of satan's fall and his existence on earth long before the creation of Adam. In this article, I would now like to show from Scripture the time period in which I believe the fall of satan took place, in relation to the six days of creation.

Here is the context:

"A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth." (Rev 12:1-2)

Here are my observations from the Word, and my interpretations, which I have numbered in order to make it easier to comprehend each one:

1. Satan appears in his fallen state as a red dragon.

"Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems." (Rev 12:3)

2. We know he is fallen because of his evil intent. For he desired to devour the male child who would rule all the nations with an iron scepter, which is the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. His intent existed before the male child was born.

"And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." (Rev 12:4-5)

3. The dragon swept a third of the stars out of the sky with his tail and flung them to the earth (Rev 12:4a). Since these cannot be literal stars or they would destroy the whole earth, we know they are angels who fell when they followed the dragon. (Rev 12:9). The earth had to exist already for the dragon to bring down these angels to earth and it is reasonable to assume the dragon was also on the earth.

4. There was war in heaven. It was not a battle of flesh and blood but a spiritual battle.

"And there was war in heaven..." (Rev 12:7a)

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12)

5. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

"...Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven." (Rev 12:7b-8)

6. The dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven.

"...and they lost their place in heaven." (Rev 12:8b, NIV).

7. The dragon was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.

"And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." (Rev 12:9)

Note: Before I comment any further about this passage in relation to the ancient fall of Lucifer and his angels, I need to say that I definitely think this verse still has a future fulfillment. Even if this passage is a reference to the past fall of satan, and his being cast out of heaven, it will be also be fulfilled in these last days. In his book, Angels on Assignment, Roland Buck said the angel Michael told him that this event was yet future, when the Lord would send His angels to clear out the heavenly realms of the devil and his angels and cast them down to earth during the Great Tribulation. I believe that revelation to Roland Buck is genuine, that what Michael said to him is true, and that this passage is a prophecy about a future event that has not yet been fulfilled. But perhaps it is a double prophecy, which has a past fulfillment at the time that the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven. It is in that historical regard that I now refer to this passage.

8. The dragon is the ancient serpent that we see in the Garden of Eden (Rev 12:9, Ge 3:1), who leads the whole world astray. He is called the devil or satan.

"...the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world..."

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"(Gen 3:1)

9. Since the serpent is seen on earth before the fall of man, we know he had fallen into sin and was already on the earth before the fall of man. At what point did he arrive on earth? We don’t know for sure, but it was after the earth was created and before the fall of man. That places it between Gen 1:1 and 3:1.

10. Jesus said that God prepared a place for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41). In that place there is eternal fire and punishment (Mt 25:41, 46).

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels...'" (Mat 25:41)

11. This place is the same one that all wicked humans go to who are condemned by God (Mt 25:41).

12. The Bible always refers to heaven as up, just as the sky is above, and it refers to hell as below, just as the grave is below. The Bible refers to ascending to heaven (Deu 30:12; Ps 139:8; Prov 30:4; Amos 9:2; John 3:13; 6:62; Ac 1:2; Eph 4:10; Rom 10:6), and Elijah going up to heaven, too (2 King 2:11). It refers to descending from heaven (John 3:13). Jacob saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching up to the heavens, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it (Gen 28:12). The Bible refers to descending down to the pit, down to the grave, down to hell (Is 14:15; Pr 5:5; 15:24; Amos 9:2; Lk 10:15). It speaks of Jesus being in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights after his crucifixion (Matt 12:40 ), while His body lay in the tomb. It speaks of the depths of hell (Ps 86:13; Prov 9:18; Job 11:8), even the lowest hell (Dt 32:22) and the lowest regions of the pit (Ps 88:6). David even said that the enemies who sought to take his life would descend into the depths of the earth (Ps 63:9). This also has a future Messianic fulfillment regarding the enemies of Christ.

At Jesus' ascension, "While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven." (Luk 24:51)

"And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'" (Act 1:9-11)

When Jesus returns, He will come down from heaven, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we are are alive and remain on earth will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thes 4:16-17). Heaven is the Lord's throne and the earth is His footstool (Is 66:1; Mt 5:35; Ac 7:49), and He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet (1 Cor 15:25; Ps 110:1). We have a clear picture in Scripture of God sitting up in heaven on His throne and placing His feet on the earth below. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that hell would be inside the earth, where all the enemies of the Son of David would go when they are put under His feet.

13. God did not spare the angels when they sinned but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;" (2Pe 2:4)

14. This prison is beneath the earth, for Jesus descended into the lower earthly regions, after his death on the cross. (Also see Jesus Christ Descended into Hell).

"But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, 'when he ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.' (Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)" (Eph 4:7-10)

He did not go there to be punished but to preach. He went there by the Spirit to preach to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah. (1 Pe 3:19-20). At one time before the cross, the place known as Sheol, the grave, or hell, was divided in two. One side was for the wicked dead, the devil, and his angels. The other side was for the righteous dead (Lk 16:23). There was a great chasm dividing the two sides (Lk 16:26). Anyone coming back to earth from that place would have to rise, hence the expression rising from the dead (Lk 16:31) Side note: The Bible says that every knee under the earth will bow. This refers to those in hell.

15. The dragon is seen on the shore of the sea in Rev 13:1. The beast comes out of the sea. The dragon gives the beast his power and his throne and great authority (Rev 13:2). Therefore we know the devil has power, authority, and a throne.

"And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority." (Rev 13:1-2)

16. The second beast comes out of the earth in Rev 13:11, which again shows that the origin of these evil spirits are inside the earth. The devil is the god of this world (2 Co 4:4).

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon." (Rev 13:11)

Certainly the location of the devil and his angels is not limited to inside the earth. They are not all confined to being inside the earth. The apostle speaks of our battle against "spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph 6:12). We know that they are also in the heavenly realms, which refers to our atmosphere. He is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). Whether someone is in a plane, in the International Space Station, or on the moon, the devil and his angels can still reach them there to tempt them. That is why I believe, as I already mentioned, that Revelation 12 speaks also of the future cleansing of the heavens from all evil, and the casting down of the devil and his angels to earth. Nevertheless, we have this passage in Revelation 13 about a beast coming up from the earth, and I believe it is because that is where the evil one has his base of operations. I believe hell is inside the earth.

17. It would seem that since God prepared hell for the devil and his angels, and since hell is inside the earth, then the devil must have sinned before the earth was made. Once the devil sinned, God made the earth and prepared hell for him. This would explain how the serpent could be already in the garden on earth when man was put here (Gen 3:1). It would also explain the darkness that existed on the earth when God made it.

Earth submerged under liquid water in darkness (Gen 1:2)

18. The planet was a submerged sphere.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Gen 1:1-2)

When I read that, I understand it to mean that when God made the earth, it was completely submerged under liquid water, suspended in the darkness of space without any sun, moon, stars or other source of light to illumine it. It did not yet have any form or order to it, nor any adornments, much like a round lump of clay on the potter's wheel before it is formed into a vessel. This sounds like the very kind of place God would send the devil to, a place of darkness.

19. Once God created the light, He saw that it was good and He separated it from the darkness (Gen 1:3). God did not call the darkness good. That darkness was present because of evil. Whenever the Scriptures speak of darkness it is almost always a bad connotation.  For example, Jesus spoke of the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth  (Matthew 8:11-12; 13:41-42; 13:49-50; 22:12-13; 24:50-51; 25:29-30; Luke 13:27-28).

20. Therefore it is my belief that immediately after the devil sinned, God made the earth as a place to which to send him, where he would be punished in hell inside the earth. Not only is it pitch dark there, but based on seismography research, we know that the temperature deep in the center of the earth is very hot. In fact, temperatures inside the Earth actually exceed the temperature on the surface of the Sun! It is dark and hot there, which fits perfectly with the description of hell given in the Bible (Matt 13:42,50; 25:41; Mk 9:43; Jude 1:7)

God could easily make the earth instantaneously on that first day of creation and put the devil there. Then on the sixth day He crowned His work by creating man in His own image to rule over all the fish, birds, livestock, and all the creatures that move along the ground, which include the serpent. (Ge 1:26).

Sin definitely came before the earth was made, but man had not sinned until the serpent deceived the woman and man listened to the woman (Gen 3:1-6, 11-13,17; 1 Tim 2:14).

Putting it All Together
In conclusion, let's concisely sum up everything I have just said. First Lucifer sinned and became a serpent, also known as the devil or satan, the great dragon. Then the earth was made. Then he was put on the earth, since he lost his place in heaven. Once God created man to rule over him, satan tried to prevent that from happening through his deception of man. But afterward God cursed him and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers;” (Gen 3:15a). This reference to the serpent's offspring (seed) means that the devil has his children on earth, too.

God foretold of the coming salvation of mankind. He said the woman’s offspring would triumph. God said of her offspring, “He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15b). This is an early reference to Christ the Son of Man who would crush the serpent’s head and purchase redemption for fallen man. He is the male child who will rule all nations with a rod of iron. Though the devil tried to devour Him immediately after He was born, he did not succeed in doing so. And though he tried to do away with Him forever, he failed. For after Jesus died on the cross and was buried, He rose from the dead as a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose and ascended to God, where He sat down at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 10:12). As the Scripture says, He was caught up to God and to His throne (Rev 12:5).

Isn't it wonderful that even in the beginning, immediately after man sinned, bringing about death to the human race, God in His great mercy already had a plan in place to save us? And He declared how He was going to do it. He would do so through the seed of the woman. It would be the Son of Adam (Luke 3:38), the Son of Man, whom we know is Jesus Christ the Son of God, who would triumph over the devil. He is the only One who can deliver us from evil. And for the those children of Adam who obediently follow Jesus, who are wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil, the promise still remains that the God of peace will soon crush satan underneath their feet (Rom 16:19-20). The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where noted. Image of the Holy Spirit hovering over the surface of the deep courtesy of "I Am the Word the Comforter" website. Image of formless sphere courtesy Creation Evidence Museum of Texas, copyrighted, used for educational purposes according to “fair use” as defined by U.S. copyright laws.

Author's note: I also recommend reading my articles, The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music, To Sin or Not to Sin, The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician, The Creation Gap Theory, Jesus Christ Descended into Hell, The Evil Nephilim Giants, Piercing the Darkness, The Son of Man, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Five Divine Revelations, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, For the Glory of God Alone, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Godly Attire & Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations,  and The Kingdom of Darkness, as well as the articles available through the Home page of this blog.  You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music

I’d like us to consider together the origin of sin, which goes back to the pre-Adamic age, prior to the creation of Adam and Eve. We can trace it all the way back to the root of all evil, the original sin committed by Lucifer.

Lucifer's Origin
Satan was originally known as Lucifer, the anointed, guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God in the Garden of Eden that was in heaven. The prophets spoke of him, usually with a double reference to another man, as Ezekiel did in his lamentation over the king of Tyre. The Lord said to him:

"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you.”  (Eze 28:12-18)

This is clearly talking about another man besides just the king of Tyre, which is obvious by the description of this person. He had the seal of perfection. He was originally full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. He was in Eden, the garden of God that was in heaven, before there was such a garden on earth. He was on the holy mountain of God, walking in the midst of the stones of fire. His outward appearance is described as being covered with every precious stone: the ruby, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, the jasper, the sapphire (lapis lazuli), the turquoise, the emerald, and the gold.  All of these were in him as part of his beautiful appearance.

He was a created being, and on the day that he was created, God lovingly prepared all these things. He was the anointed cherub who covers. In other words he was the guardian cherub, which is a high-ranking angel of the second-highest rank, right below the seraphim in rank. The Lord placed him there. He was blameless in his ways from the day he was created until unrighteousness was found in him. This cannot possibly describe a human being.

Lucifer's Fall
The Scripture tells us how he fell. By the abundance of his trade he was internally filled with violence, and he sinned.  He learned to be violent and filled his storehouses with iniquity. He corrupted his wisdom by reason of his splendor. In other words, he used his great wisdom to amass wealth for himself. In the unrighteousness of his trade he profaned his sanctuaries, the holy places that he was supposed to be guarding. This speaks of the sin of avarice or greed, which is a hunger for wealth. This is the root of all evil, and I believe it was the original sin.

The apostle Paul said, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:10, KJV). The expression “the love of money” comes from the Greek word “philarguria” meaning “avarice” or “greed”. (The word philarguria comes from “philos” meaning “fond” and “arguria” meaning “silver”).

The Lord said, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” (Luk 16:13-15)

Therefore, avarice is where satan’s fall began. And his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, so pride and vanity were at work within him as well (1 Tim 3:6).

Lucifer's Destruction
Therefore the Lord God cast him as profane from His holy mountain and destroyed him. He was cut off from the midst of the stones of fire and cast to the ground. God put him before kings, so that they may see him. He was guilty of a multitude of iniquities. Therefore God brought fire from the midst of him that consumed him, and turned him to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see him.

It’s interesting to see how God punishes the wicked. The type of punishment is always directly related to their sin. In this case, He was cut off from the midst of the stones of fire that he had profaned, and God brought fire from the midst of him that consumed him, and turned him to ashes. He was cast from God’s holy mountain all the way down to the ground on earth, even down to the pit like ashes.

The beginning of Ezekiel 28 also gives us more insight. It says:

"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your heart is lifted up And you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas'; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God-- Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; There is no secret that is a match for you. "By your wisdom and understanding You have acquired riches for yourself And have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries. "By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your riches And your heart is lifted up because of your riches-- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have made your heart Like the heart of God, Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, The most ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords Against the beauty of your wisdom And defile your splendor. 'They will bring you down to the pit, And you will die the death of those who are slain In the heart of the seas. 'Will you still say, "I am a god," In the presence of your slayer, Though you are a man and not God, In the hands of those who wound you? 'You will die the death of the uncircumcised By the hand of strangers, For I have spoken!' declares the Lord GOD!"'" (Eze 28:2-10)

From this we learn that Lucifer’s heart was lifted up and he said, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the seas.” But God said, “You are a man and not God, although you make your heart like the heart of God.” Lucifer was originally wiser than Daniel and no secret was a match for him. By his wisdom and understanding he acquired riches for himself. He acquired gold and silver for his treasuries. By his great wisdom, by his trade he increased his riches, and his heart became lifted up because of his riches. Therefore, God brought him down to the pit to die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas. He will die the death of the wicked.

It says of him in Isaiah, "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.” (Isa 14:13-15). Though he wanted to ascend, raise his throne above the other angels, and make himself like the Most High, he was cast down to hell, and descended to depths of the pit.

Lucifer's Tambourines and Flutes
I want to focus now on the part that says, “the workmanship of your settings and sockets was in you.” It says in the Modern King James Version, “The workmanship of your tambourines and of your flutes was prepared in you in the day that you were created.” (Eze 28:13b)

The Hebrew word used here for tambourines is “tuppekā”, which only occurs once in the Bible. It is a form of the Hebrew word “toph” meaning “a timbrel, tabret, or tambourine” (Strongs). Various forms of the word “toph” are also found in Gen. 31:27; Exo. 15:20; Jdg. 11:34; 1Sa. 10:5; 18:6; 2Sa. 6:5; 1Ch. 13:8; Job 21:12; Psa. 81:2; 149:3; 150:4; Isa. 5:12; 24:8; 30:32; Jer. 31:4; Eze. 28:13.

The Hebrew word used here for “flutes” is “neqeb”, meaning “a bezel for a gem, or a pipe.” (Strongs). The obscure term “neqeb” only occurs in this form here, and is very close in form to “naqab” which carries the idea of boring holes, mining, or piercing. Since the previous term “toph” was assuredly a musical one, it makes sense in the context that this term neqeb would also be a musical one. A pipe is basically a branch that has been bored out to make it hollow inside. And when other holes are bored into the side of it, as with a flute, this allows various notes to be played on it when wind is passed through.

In this passage there are various precious materials described as adorning this anointed cherub. So these pipes were not ordinary, but very finely crafted of precious material such as gold, which is mentioned right beforehand in this verse.

Therefore, based on my study of the words “tuppeka” and “neqeb”, it is my belief that these were both musical instruments, created by God, which were given to the anointed, guardian cherub, Lucifer, who walked among the fiery stones on the holy mountain of God in heaven. In fact, these instruments were prepared "in" him (Hebrew, bāḵ, "in you") on the day he was created (Eze 28:13b), so they were built into him as part of his being. It was originally intended that these instruments be used only for worship of the Most High.

However, since the time that Lucifer fell into sin, and was expelled from heaven, he has used these musical instruments for rebellious purposes.  He has invented other unauthorized kinds of music that do not bring glory to the Lord God Almighty. These include pagan worship, the worship of false gods (demons), satan worship, and what we have come to know as "secular music" in all its various forms, including rock, rap, and reggae. Even the worldly love songs are produced by him.  All of these are forms of stolen worship, which is one way that satan gets his strength.

The Meaning of Lucifer’s Name
We know his name was originally Lucifer, because it is found in the prophet Isaiah. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isa 14:12, KJV).  That name comes from the Hebrew word “helel”, which is used as a noun no place else in Scripture. It means “(in the sense of brightness); the morning star: - lucifer.” (Strongs). So he was assuredly very bright in the beginning before he fell. And he still has the ability to appear that way, as the Scripture says, satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).

His Hebrew name, “helel”, comes from the Hebrew word “halal”, which is “A primitive root; to be clear (originally of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show; to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.” (Strongs). Notice some of the meanings of this word, which give us insight into the characteristics of Lucifer.  Here are some of the implications:

Before wickedness was found in him, Lucifer was the archangel or cherub in charge of worship in heaven. He had a clear sound, as well as a clear color, he was shining, shiny, making a show, boasting about the Lord, clamorous in the way he did so, making a joyful noise, celebrating the Lord’s love, glorifying God, commending the Lord, giving light, singing praise, and being worthy of praise.

But once he fell into sin, his character became evil. Now he does all the same things but for himself, rather than for God. Now he is still making a clear sound, appearing in a clear color, still shining, shiny, glossy, giving light, radiant, luminous, making a show, but boasting about himself, clamorous, noisy, celebrating sin, glorifying himself, singing praise about himself and about the wicked.  He is raving (uttering furious exclamations as a madman), raging, and foolish. It is easy to see how he is the originator of all music that does not glorify God.

As the Scripture says of Lucifer in Isaiah, "Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering." (Isa 14:11). His pride and the music of his harps have been brought down to Sheol, or hell. This is a graphic depiction of how he and his music ended up in hell, with maggots beneath him and worms covering him (cf., Mark 9:44,46,48). And that is the same end, which anyone who follows his music will also meet.

In God’s original design, music was solely for true worship of Him alone, and that was the only kind of music that existed. But now that satan has fallen, he has invented many other kinds of music that are not true, spiritual worship of Jehovah. All music that does not glorify God is from satan and is sinful. It is from hell. Anyone who is listening to or singing worldly music cannot enter heaven. If you are committing these sins, please repent or else you will perish.

Adam and Eve
Of course, when God created man, he did so here on the earth, the place where satan had been thrown down to, and God gave man dominion over the earth. It says, "God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" (Gen 1:28). Man was supposed to subdue the earth and rule over every living thing on the earth.

God created man in His own image, and He placed the first man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden. He commanded him to tend the garden, and permitted him to eat of any tree in the garden, except for one, which was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It says, "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'" (Gen 2:15-17)

Then God in His love for Adam created a woman to be his helper. They were happy together in the garden, naked and unashamed. But then satan came along and tempted Eve to eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Although she knew that God had forbidden Adam to eat of that tree, satan tricked her into disobeying God. She was deceived by the serpent, and she ate the fruit. Then she gave some to her husband and he ate of it, too. This is how sin was introduced into the human race. Since then, all men born from Adam have sinned. This is what has brought death to man, and this is what the Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from.

Satan is doomed to destruction, and anyone who sins must also perish. But God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. He came to earth as a man, went to the cross, died for our sins, took the penalty that we deserved, and paid the price in full. Then He rose from the dead and He now lives forever. All who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will not perish but have eternal life.

Putting it All Together
Satan was originally a holy angel named Lucifer, in charge of worship. He was of the second highest order right below the seraphim. He was in charge of worship, leading the other angels in singing praises and making music before the throne of God. But sin was found in him and he fell. He used the wisdom God gave him in order to amass wealth for himself, because he was greedy. Because of his beauty, splendor, and wealth, his heart became lifted up in pride (1 Tim 3:6), boasting that he was a god. He learned to be violent, so he was cast down from heaven to earth. Here he became the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the ruler of this world (Jn 12:31), and the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). He became the adversary of God and man, for his very name, "satan", means “adversary.”

It was into this environment that God placed mankind, when He created man in His image. And it is in this world that we live in this present darkness, contending with the devil. Those of us who know the Lord Jesus are constantly battling against this evil foe, against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). They are constantly attacking us, and three of their main strategies are intimidation, temptation, and deception. We must be very careful, because they are crafty, and they can subtly introduce avarice, pride, and vanity, in their many various forms, as well as worldly music.

However, in Christ we are victorious. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. The Lord has triumphed over the devil and his demons at the cross and made a public spectacle of them (Col 2:15). We are seated with Him in heavenly realms, but we still have to engage the enemy in very real battles with eternal life or death consequences. This is why we must contend and not stop fighting the good fight. We must constantly pray to our heavenly Father, “Deliver us from evil.”

Let me encourage you today to keep up the fight against sin. There are many ways the devil has deceived the Church today, just as he originally deceived Adam and Eve. There are many things he has tricked the elect into accepting, which God has commanded us in His Word not to do. Therefore, the Church has gone astray. Many people are practicing sin, preachers are not preaching against it, and people are perishing.

Please don't let the devil deceive you into hell. Stop drifting away. Avoid becoming a corrupted Christian. Read my articles, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician (part II of this article), Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations (previous article), and Avoiding Worldly Worship. These are just a few that will help you to wake up before it is too late. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where noted. "Deception" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm all rights reserved by the artist. Please view it on his official website, Inspired Art.

Author's note: I also recommend reading my articles, The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician, Sin, Satan, and the Submerged Sphere, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, Avoiding Worldly Worship, For the Glory of God Alone, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Godly Attire & Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, The Kingdom of Darkness, Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead, and The Marine Kingdom and Queen of the Coast, as well as the articles available through the Home page of this blog.  You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.