Subject: Lucifer kicked out of heaven |
Bible Note: Hi Norm, This is what I think regarding Luke 10:18: I think, based on the contextual circumstances, that it's not out of the question that it was not a literal statement, but a jesting statement. Let me demonstrate what I mean if I am able and if God be willing to allow to me to do so adequately. Looking at the circumstances, Jesus had sent the disciples out ahead of him into all the cities where he was going to go and minister. [Luke 10:1-16] After doing as instructed, the disciples "returned with joy." They exclaim to him how all went well (paraphrased by the circumstances), and how that even the demons were subject to them. Jesus then, amidst their joy and excitement (for surely they were excited after doing what a man simply cannot do naturally) suddenly and stoically states a historical happening completely irrelevent to the situation, "I beeeehellld Saaatan fallllling like liiightninnng." Then he proceeds to spoil their mood by rebuking them for being joyful at their sucess, exclaiming that they should instead be happy that their names are written in the book of life. After this, HE rejoices greatly in the Holy Spirit. Personally, the 10:18 passage always seemed out of place to me when viewing it in this traditional way. What I see is that He is cutting up with them. They are joyful and excited, and so too is He joyful and excited for them. Imagine, if you will, a child and his bike. The father sends him outside to ride the bike, assuring him he will not fall. The child, being faithful, goes outside and rides, and upon coming back inside, excited and happy at having ridden the bike on his own for the first time, he says to his father, "I rode the bike! And I didn't even fall down!" The father then says to him, "The kid down the street fell off his bike. Do not be happy that you rode your bike. Be happy that you have a bike not to fall off of." No father would behave this way. He would instead be happy with the child and encourage him. "Good job! You did well! I have taught you how to ride a bike, and now you will never fall again. But be mindful that you don't go into the street. Knowing how to ride a bike doesn't protect you from the cars." So to look at 10:18 another way, by situation: The disciples return, joyful and excited, exclaiming, "Lord, even the demons were subject to us! It was amazing! You should have seen it!" Jesus, appreciating their joy, and joyful with them for their excitement as a father would be joyful for his excited child that just rode his bike, he says to them, "That's fantastic guys! You did good! You gave Satan a real boot in the jewels! Now you can SEE that I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and that nothing will injure you! But be mindful...! Although the spirits are subject you, and I'm greatly excited for you in that, the thing you should really be excited about is that your names are recorded in heaven. Nevertheless, you did well. Just focus on the things that matter." In other words, I see the statement of 10:18 as a circumstantial exclamation of praise for their accomplishment, not as a stoic statement of historical happening that has no real relevence to the situation. The traditional way of interpreting what's going on there sticks out like a sore thumb to me, and it doesn't fit the chronological factors of the fall. In regard to the fall, I think the issue is that we are all assuming there had to be one. The Bible doesn't actually say that. The serpent was cursed, but still stood before the throne, accusing us day and night, and it is plain that he was not bound in Hell, nor his angels. Besides Satan, there are lying spirits, spirits of calamity, and evil spirits of the Lord recorded in Samuel, Kings, Job, Zechariah, etc. If they were bound in Hell, what were they doing running amuck? Unless they had not fallen from heaven at all, and were being used to God's divine purpose, reserved to be punished at the coming of the Great Day of the Lord. I hear your thought, but it seems ambiguous to me. He fell from heaven, but hasn't been cast out. Did God only kick him out for the evening for coming home drunk? Know what I mean? I DO understand where you're going with it, but it doesn't seem logical. If he fell, but he can come back in, then he didn't really fall. As for the angels of Jude and 2nd Peter that are reserved under chains of darkness ... while the book is not cannon, this description is almost a direct quotation from the psuedopigraphic book of 1st Enoch, and referred to those angels that took the daughters of men to wife, creating the race of giants in the days before the flood. 1st Enoch describes them being bound for seventy generations until the time of their judgment. These are my thoughts on the matter of Luke 10:18. I'd love to discuss the theory in general more. Let us sharpen and edify one another. All my love, Ancient |