Why Was Lucifer Jealous

Why Was Lucifer Jealous of the Son of God?

Isa 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.

Satan’s desire was to be like the Most High, yet if the “second person of the Godhead” was actually the Most High in the same way as the Father, then why would Lucifer be Jealous?

“Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And coveting the glory with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.” PP 35

Ellen White states that Lucifer coveted the glory with which He had invested in His Son; he desired a power that was the right of Christ alone. Notice how Ellen White combines the power that Christ possessed with the glory that the Father invested Him with. But the Trinitarian position forcefully advocates that the power of Christ comes from Himself alone – “unborrowed and underived”. If this were the case then Ellen White should have really said that Lucifer desired the power that was the prerogative of the Father and Son together, rather than the Son alone. Further to this, she should have said that he sought for the power which was the prerogative of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together, not Christ alone.

How could Lucifer covet a power that was rightfully the Son’s without inheritance? But Ellen White makes it clear that the power that Lucifer coveted was the glory with which the Father had invested in His Son. Now that is something that is easily understood. Lucifer became jealous of that which the Father had given to His Son or that His Son inherited when He was begotten. The Son did not think this was robbery because He accepted the Word of the Father; Lucifer did think it was robbery because He did not accept the Word of the Father.

“Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined. To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeaching the wisdom and love of the Creator, had become the purpose of this prince of angels. To this object he was about to bend the energies of that master mind, which, next to Christ's, was first among the hosts of God.” PP 35,36

The question again is why was Lucifer only Jealous of Christ, why was he not jealous of all three members of this so called Trinitarian Godhead? Why did he dispute the supremacy of the position of the Son alone?

The Trinitarian position actually uses convoluted and circular reasoning that allows for the suggestion that the blame for the whole Great Controversy originates with God Himself.

"A plan of salvation was encompassed in the covenant made by the Three Persons of the Godhead, who possessed the attributes of deity equally. In order to eradicate sin and rebellion from the universe and to restore harmony and peace, one of the divine Beings accepted, and entered into, the role of the Father, another the role of the Son. The remaining divine Being , the Holy Spirit, was also to participate in effecting the plan of salvation." Gordon Jensen Adventist Review Oct, 31, 1996

The Trinitarian position suggests that the Second Person of the Godhead took the position of submission voluntarily for the purpose of the plan of salvation. But it appears that the action that the Godhead took in electing the Son to be in submission was what actually caused the jealousy of Lucifer and started the rebellion which brought sin into the world. On this basis the case could be made that God in fact is responsible for sin coming into the universe. The lesson that could be learned from the Trinitarian myth is that dishonesty does not pay and that you should always be yourself and not pretend to be someone else.

Since Lucifer was questioning the position of the Son of God, would it not make sense for God to set forth the position clearly as to who He was? The true God of heaven most certainly did this. Let us read it carefully:

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father's throne , and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.” PP 36

Here is the true position of the Son, set forth by the Father. When we say true position, that is the truth about who the Son is. If what is written in the previous paragraph is not the truth about the Son, then God can be accused of being a liar. Let us summarise the points of the true position that was set forth:

1. The Son shared the Father’s throne.

2. The glory of the Self existent One (The Father) encircled both of them

3. Christ was the Only Begotten of God

4. He alone could enter into His purposes

5. To Him was committed the authority to execute the mighty counsels of the Father’s Will

6. The homage of all created beings were due to Christ even as they were to the Father.

This is the truth about the Son of God and the relation he sustained to all created beings. But the Trinitarian position does not accept this. They see it as a plan that had been put into effect for the plan of salvation. But such a position means that God in the words above did not actually set forth the position of His Son, rather he hid the truth of who the Son really was.

If the Trinitarian position was correct then the Father would have said:

1. The name Son is a title that He uses to demonstrate the principle of submission

2. The Son has exactly the same power and ability as myself

3. This power He has from Himself and He has chosen to take this office for the benefit of the universe.

4. He did not inherit anything from me in any way shape or form.

That is what God would have to say if he was setting forth the TRUTH about the Son.

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

God cannot lie. If Lucifer was confused about the position of the Son, the Father could have saved Lucifer all this mess by simply telling the “truth” about the Son. If Trinitarians can understand it, then I think Lucifer might have been able to understand it as well, considering we were made a little lower than the angels.

Satan knew exactly who the Son was. The Bible gives clear evidence of this. The heart of the temptation of Satan against Christ in the wilderness was to confuse Him about who He really was. Satan sought to move Christ from his real identity. This was the best way to stop Him in his tracks. So how does Satan address Jesus?

Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God

Satan appealed to Christ to demonstrate His power, that appeal was connected to the name Son of God. Satan knew who Jesus was. So did the other fallen angels.

Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Some people amazingly suggest: “Oh this was in the incarnation!” So that means that the fallen angels respectfully used the titles that God assigned to carry out the plan of salvation. That was very nice of them indeed!

Let us think these things through very carefully:

1. If the Son was not truly the Son of God, but only taking the position or title for the plan of salvation, then this created confusion for Lucifer and the angels concerning His real identity.
2. When God summoned the heavenly host to set the matter straight, His refusal to be honest with them was the actual catalyst for the rebellion, by allowing the angels to remain in confusion about the true identity of the Son.
3.  Lucifer coveted the glory of the Son which the Father had invested in Him. He was Jealous of Christ alone, not the Father and Son.
4. It is understandable, though not excusable, to see why Lucifer would be jealous of the Son being invested with power and authority. It is not understandable that if the Son was actually the co-equal co-eternal of the Father in His own independent right that they continued to hide this knowledge from the angels and spark the rebellion in heaven.

Inspiration makes it clear who the Son is.

The Father Knew

Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Angels Knew

Heb 1:2-5 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Satan Knew

Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God.

The Fallen Angels Knew

Mar 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

The Disciples Knew

Mat 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Mat 16:15,16 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

The Centurion Knew

Mar 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

And of course Jesus Knew

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Why is it that most of the world does not seem to know who Jesus really is?

God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,"-- not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven \ sinner, but a Son begotten in the Express image of the Father's person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with

God in authority, dignity, and Divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. ST, May 30, 1895 par. 3

The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality. UL 367 (1905)

God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son. 8T 268 (1909)

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. This was no robbery of God. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way," He declares, "before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth" (Proverbs 8:22-27). 1SM 247

Written by Adrian Ebens www.maranathamedia.com