Have you ever asked that question? The number one question people say they would ask God is, "Why?". What if He already told us? What if we just aren't looking where we are supposed to?
There is a lot of disconnect between the world and Christianity. Christianity refers to those that are not "saved" as the "world". It seems like there is constant bickering between the Christian and the world. I would imagine if the Christian was better equipped, there would be less bickering and more sharing the truth.
This series of articles will answer a question that NO ONE has ever been able to answer for me. I have been studying this since the day that I gave my life to Jesus. It has been 37 years now and I believe that God is not slack in His helping us understand things. Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."
What is this question that eludes most? "If Satan was defeated at the cross, why does he continue today?" Seems simple enough. However, when someone who is "in the know" answers that for you, be careful. I believe the answer is very evident and will take a while to fully explain. Why? Because "the surest obstacle to the truth is the assumption we already have it."
Approach this from the viewpoint of "the world". They hear Christians speak of how Jesus defeated Satan and is victorious. Yet? When they see pandemics, earthquakes, floods, and total depravity of man, how do we answer that? "Well, it is God's will". Really? God wants us to suffer like that? From this direction, maybe you can see why your "worldly" friends hate Christianity and thus, by extension, Christians.
Let's ask a question here. What is the "end" for evil according to the Bible? Hell. Yet, Satan has never been there nor will he rule it. The "world" believes he will. When you ask the average Christian of why Satan does not want you to follow Jesus Christ, they give you all sorts of answers. Unfortunately, they normally are full of conjecture and really don't make much sense. It is almost as if they believe that Satan will rule in hell and he will get "points" for each soul he takes to hell. That makes zero sense if you have even a read a portion of the Bible.
Then there is what I call the "Godfather" effect. In the movie the Godfather, or any organized crime scenario, if the "bad guy" cannot get to the Godfather, then they will hurt those whom he loves. This is the logic some use for Satan continuing today to try and hurt Christians. The problem is he is hurting everyone, even those that claim to belong to him.
So why does he continue and why does God allow it? What if the original set up was different than is taught in most places? What if there was a world here before Adam? What if Lucifer (Satan) ruled that place? What if it has to do with him regaining control? I mean if Lucifer A.K.A. Satan is a fallen creature, then why did he fall? When you get to Genesis chapter 3, just the third chapter into the Bible, Lucifer is already Satan and has fallen. Why don't we see why he fell there? The chronology of the Bible is many times out of time sequence. Don't worry, God understood that and when we study it, it makes sense why.
This series of articles will be quite extensive. However, we will keep them short so you can catch your breath and try to understand what you have read. More importantly, this will give you the opportunity to take your Bible and read for yourself. Remember to pray as you read so that the Author can speak to you.
The following is a chronological order of events according to The Reese Chronological Bible. Although not complete, they are enough to understand that there is more going on than can possibly be understood by man.
Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God".
God always has been and always will be. Why? Because He is outside of time. This is something our minds cannot comprehend. One day, however, according to 1 John 3:2, we will understand it.
John 1:1-2 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God".
Jesus Christ, aka The Word, has always been and always will be.
John 1:3 "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. The fact that all things were created by Jesus is just a plus.
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth".
What we see in Genesis 1:1 is what was created in John 1:3. While the entire universe was created, the Holy Spirit wants us to know that He is focusing on Heaven (earth’s atmosphere) and earth (our home). Without Biblical knowledge, one might ask, “with so many other places for God to zero in on, why this little planet in the middle of nowhere; universally speaking?” As vast as the universe is, and with as many galaxies full of stars and planets as there are, why would God focus on the earth in that first statement of scripture? The Bible was written to us. Because of this, it only makes sense that the setting of it should be where we are; with an earthly perspective. Not only was the universe originally created at this point, but the angels themselves. While it is foreign to some, other things were created as well.
Ezekiel 28:14 "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire".
While this scripture is many pages into the works of the Holy Spirit, if chronologically placed, it would be near the front. God placed Lucifer in charge of something. The responsibilities given to Lucifer far transcend the realm of Heaven, God’s home.
Isaiah 14:13-14 "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High".
By the time we get to Genesis 3, Lucifer had already fallen into sin. This is an insight given by the Holy Spirit for us to show what Lucifer’s transgressions were. The key here is he said, “within his heart”. He never got the chance to try and carry out this series of bad decisions that he was thinking. However, this is the basis of his fall.
Ezekiel 28:16-18 "By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee".
Judgment comes! More of the reasons he fell are included here as God takes him down.
Ezekiel 28:15 "Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee".
It is interesting that the Holy Spirit wants us to know Lucifer was perfect as a creation until he decided to change. God did not create Satan; Lucifer created Satan.
Isaiah 14:16-17 "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?"
This scripture series gives us insight into more of how Lucifer took his given responsibilities and abused them.
Isaiah 14:12 "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!"
What nations?
Jeremiah 4:23-28 "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it".
The Holy Spirit shows us the aftermath of God’s judgment on Lucifer’s earth. The desolate landscape, the absence of beings, and the lost animals and vegetation. He even judged the atmosphere around the earth, as shown in this bleak picture.
Genesis 1:2 "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters".
The verses from Jeremiah are a view of the judgment of God, while Genesis 1:2 is the snapshot right before God begins to rebuild and do so in the face of its transgressor; Lucifer.
Isaiah 45:18 "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else".
While there is never a need for God to defend Himself or His actions, He makes it clear that He did not create the picture seen in Genesis 1:2. He wants us to know that it became that way outside of Him. He judged the actions of another, He did NOT create it that way.
2 Peter 3:5-7 "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men".
As you read these articles, ask yourself why? Why does Satan continue? What's the point? Did Jesus really defeat him on the cross? These are the questions the "world" is asking. Shouldn't you know the answers?
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