Post by The Ambassador on Aug 3, 2019 10:48:08 GMT
God Creates Angels
Note: This Sabbath Study presents a very unique theory that has come about mainly because of our advanced scientific understanding regarding the earth. Whereas, the Bible presents only about 6,000 years of mankind's history following the Genesis account, science now has much evidence that the earth is in fact much, much older. The answer seems to be that the earth had much history long before man came along, and since scripture only speaks to God's dealings with man, this history (preceding the advent of mankind on earth) is mostly lost to us. There are some references made to this time period in the scriptures, but usually speaks in generalities—not giving us any clear idea as to when, or for how long this time period was. While it seems to be our best working theory on what exactly happened, when, and why, we of course, have no way of knowing for sure.
Before the universe was made, God created hundreds of millions of angels. Like God, angels are made of spirit and can live forever. But unlike God, angels did not always exist. And they cannot create life. Angels (like humans) are free moral agents. This means that God allows them to decide and choose for themselves whether or not they will obey Him. God never forces people or angels to obey Him. In His mercy, He wants everyone to freely choose His way of life. After creating the angels, God created all the stars, planets, moons and galaxies that exist—the whole universe! Millions of angels sang for joy, especially when God created the earth (Job 38:7). They knew that it would be handed to them as part of a very special assignment.
Great War in Heaven
God gave a unique mission to one-third of all the angels: They were assigned to live on the earth and take special care of it. If they succeeded, they would eventually be given the entire universe to take care of and rule under God.
At first, the angels were happy about their assignment. They wanted to do all that they could to make the earth a beautiful garden paradise of peaceful meadows, green forests, sandy beaches and sparkling oceans.
But as time passed (the Bible does not say how long; it may have taken millions, even billions, of years), something changed.
It all began with Lucifer, who was an archangel. God appointed him leader over the millions of angels who lived on the earth. Full of wisdom and beauty, Lucifer was the smartest, most perfect being God had ever created (Ezekiel 28:11-14). While God ruled the vast universe from His throne in heaven, Lucifer ruled over the earth from his throne in the Garden of Eden. He obediently carried out God’s commands.
But one day, Lucifer allowed a wrong thought to enter his mind. Instead of getting rid of it and replacing it with right thoughts, he allowed even more wrong thoughts and feelings to guide and control his mind. He soon became full of pride (verse 15). Instead of being thankful for the assignment God gave him, Lucifer became bitter and angry. He wanted more power, more responsibility—and he wanted it his way, not God’s.
He began to think that he knew better than God, that he was smarter than Him. Lucifer allowed himself to think that he was greater than he really was—even greater than his Creator! Eventually, Lucifer came to believe that he should be God! And he reasoned that the only way to do so was to take God’s place and remove Him from His heavenly throne (Isaiah 14:12-14)
Lucifer’s wrong thoughts and attitudes led him to sin—to break God’s spiritual laws of love and outgoing concern for others, first toward God, then toward people (I John 3:4; Romans 7:12-14).
Lucifer the archangel became God’s enemy.
He convinced the other angels around him to believe that his way was right. Through lies and deceit, Lucifer talked them into believing that God and His ways were unfair and unjust.
In turn, those angels convinced other angels of the same lies. Eventually, all the angels who lived on earth—one-third of all the angels God had created—rebelled against their Creator (Revelation 12:4; Job 4:18). They followed Lucifer into breaking God’s laws, and refused to obey God.
Though originally created with super-intelligence, the minds of the fallen angels became twisted and evil. They decided their way—selfishness, greed, cruelty, putting themselves first before others—was somehow better than God’s Way. They decided that, if God would not do things their way, they would have to remove Him as Supreme Ruler!
Lucifer and the rebellious angels—now transformed into demons—foolishly invaded heaven to take over God’s throne. But God—armed with the limitless power of His Holy Spirit, and backed by twice as many loyal angels—put down the rebellion. He cast the evil spirits back to the earth. God then changed Lucifer’s name, which meant “morning star” or “shining one,” to Satan the devil, which means “adversary,” “accuser” and “slanderer” (Ezekiel 28:11-19).
Because they had failed to overthrow their Creator, Satan and his demons were full of hatred and bitterness. Like spoiled children who could not get their own way, they wrecked the face of the earth. Earthquakes shattered and trembled across the planet, while volcanoes burst and overflowed with molten lava. Poisonous gases filled the sky, choking everything that breathed, and shutting out the sunlight. The oceans and seas smashed against the land until the whole earth was covered with water. All physical life (dinosaurs, plants, insects and other prehistoric life) was destroyed.
Today, the scarred and beaten moons and planets, in decay within our solar system and throughout the universe, remind us of that great angelic war.
Satan’s rebellion proved to God that there was only one kind of being that could be trusted to manage and rule over His creation—other God-beings!
Next Sabbath: The Awesome Potential of Man
Bible Reading
The Book of Tobit or Tobias
Absence of Tobias mourned by his Parents
Tobit Chapter Two
Next Sabbath: Chapter 3
The Book of Tobit or Tobias
Absence of Tobias mourned by his Parents
Tobit Chapter Two
1 In the reign of Esarhaddon, therefore, I returned home, and my wife Anna was restored to me with my son Tobias. At our feast of Pentecost (the feast of Weeks) there was a good dinner. I took my place for the meal;
2 the table was brought to me and various dishes were brought. I then said to my son Tobias, 'Go, my child, and seek out some poor, loyal-hearted man among our brothers exiled in Nineveh, and bring him to share my meal. I will wait until you come back, my child.'
3 So Tobias went out to look for some poor man among our brothers, but he came back again and said, 'Father!' I replied, 'What is it, my child?' He went on, 'Father, one of our nation has just been murdered; he has been strangled and then thrown down in the market place; he is there still.'
4 I sprang up at once, left my meal untouched, took the man from the market place and laid him in one of my rooms, waiting until sunset to bury him.
5 I came in again and washed myself and ate my bread in sorrow,
6 remembering the words of the prophet Amos concerning Bethel: I shall turn your festivals into mourning and all your singing into lamentation.
7 And I wept. When the sun was down, I went and dug a grave and buried him.
8 My neighbours laughed and said, 'See! He is not afraid any more.' (You must remember that a price had been set on my head earlier for this very thing.) 'Once before he had to flee, yet here he is, beginning to bury the dead again.'
9 That night I took a bath; then I went into the courtyard and lay down by the courtyard wall. Since it was hot I left my face uncovered.
10 I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall above my head; their hot droppings fell into my eyes. This caused white spots to form, which I went to have treated by the doctors. But the more ointments they tried me with, the more the spots blinded me, and in the end, I become completely blind. I remained without sight four years; all my brothers were distressed on my behalf; and Ahikar provided for my upkeep for two years, until he left for Elymais.
11 My wife Anna then undertook woman's work; she would spin wool and take cloth to weave;
12 she used to deliver whatever had been ordered from her and then receive payment. Now on the seventh day of the month of Dystros, she finished a piece of work and delivered it to her customers. They paid her all that was due, and into the bargain presented her with a kid for a meal.
13 When the kid came into my house, it began to bleat. I called to my wife and said, 'Where does this creature come from? Suppose it has been stolen! Let the owners have it back; we have no right to eat stolen goods'.
14 She said, 'No, it was a present given me over and above my wages.' I did not believe her, and told her to give it back to the owners (I felt deeply ashamed of her). To which, she replied, 'What about your own alms? What about your own good works? Everyone knows what return you have had for them.'
Next Sabbath: Chapter 3