Bible Studies

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© Josprel
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The Three Heavens: The Sons of God: Lucifer & Demons - A Study
by
Josprel

According to Scriptures, there are three heavens.

THE FIRST HEAVEN:
The First Heaven is the atmosphere; the envelope composed of a mixture of vapor with various gases that encloses the planet earth. This is where the birds fly, and this is where Satan and his demons now exercise their power. At present the air is their domain.

Ephesians 2:1: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: . . ."

THE SECOND HEAVEN:
The second heaven is what is termed "outer space" by mankind, but is called "the firmament" by God. In the second heaven are located the sun, moon, planets, and stars:

Genesis 1:1-8: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divide the light from the darkness. 5 "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

It is this second heaven that separates the waters that are under the firmament from the waters that are above the firmament.

THE THIRD HEAVEN:
The third heaven is where the Apostle Paul visited. 2 Corinthians 12:1-4: "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

This third heaven is referred to as "the heavens of heavens" in 1 Kings 8:26-27: "And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"

THE SONS OF GOD:
The Old Testament refers to angels as "the sons of God." Job 1:6 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. . . . 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD."

These sons of god were present at the creation of the earth and that they sang and shouted for joy at that event. Job 38:4 "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Throughout the Scriptures stars often represent angels. Revelation 9:1: "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."

LUCIFER:
When Satan was Lucifer, he was the sum total of beauty and wisdom.

Ezekiel 28:11 "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 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. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 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. 17 "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. 18 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. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."

The above Scripture records that:
1. The king of Tyrus is a type of Lucifer/Satan (verse 12).
2. As Lucifer, Satan was created by God (verse 15).
3. As Lucifer, Satan was full of wisdom (verse 12),
4. As Lucifer, Satan was perfect in beauty (Verse 12).
5. As Lucifer, Satan was perfect in his ways (verse 15).
6. As Lucifer, Satan's perfection began with the day of his creation (verse 15).
7. As Lucifer, Satan was anointed by God to exalted office (verse 14).
8. As Lucifer, Satan was the Covering Cherub (verses 14&16).
9. As Lucifer, Satan sinned through pride, because of his beauty (verses 16&17).
10. As Lucifer, Satan lost his position when iniquity was found in him (verse 15).
11. As Satan, Lucifer defiled his sanctuaries by the multitude of his iniquities (verse 18).
12. As Satan, Lucifer was cast out of the mountain of God (verse 16; compare with Isaiah 14:13).
13. As Satan, Lucifer became the purveyor of multitudinous merchandise that fills his domain with violence (verse 16).
14. As Satan, Lucifer will be cast to the ground by God (verse 17).

Compare with Isaiah 14:12 & Revelation 12:12-13: "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child."

15. As Satan, Lucifer will be destroyed by God (verse 16).

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! 13 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: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

The above Scripture records that:
1. One of Lucifer's titles was "son of the morning" (verse 12).
2. Lucifer fell from heaven (verse 12).
3. Lucifer's fall was caused by his ambition to ascend into heaven (verse 13).
4. Lucifer's ambition was to exalt his throne above the stars of God (verse 13).
5. Lucifer's ambition was to sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north (verse 13; compare to Ezekiel 28:16).
6. Lucifer's ambition was to ascend above the heights of the clouds (verse 14).
7. Lucifer's ambition was to be like the most High (verse 14).
8. Lucifer was cut down to the ground (verse 12) (compare to Ezekiel 28 and Revelation 12:12-13).
9. Lucifer will be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit (verse 15).

As Satan, fallen Lucifer still is referred to in the Bible as the god of this world:
2 Corinthians 4:3 "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.".

DEMONS:
Demons are fallen angels.

Lucifer once ruled the angels of God. He rebelled through pride, and took one-third of the angels with him; these angels became demons . . ."

Revelation 12:3 "And there appeared another wonder in heaven . . . a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth . . . 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

SATAN STILL CONSIDERS HIMSELF THE RULER OF THIS WORLD: This is certain from his words to Jesus:

Luke 4:5 "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Matthew 4:8 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

Satan's claim that the kingdoms of the earth were delivered to him most certainly makes reference to Adam's forfeited inheritance. Yet, (and this is conjecture) his words, "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. . . . " (Luke 4:6) might carry a slight hint on just why he was so anxious to bring about the fall of man in the Garden of Eden -- he desired to undermine man's authority over the earth in order to again establish his own. In this he appears to have a temporary success, since he is recognized as:

1. "The prince of this world" by Jesus (John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11).
2. "The god of this world" by the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 4:4).
3. "The prince of the power of the air" by the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:2).

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