Are we making the same mistakes as Lucifer did?
Sin began in the mind of the archangel Lucifer. This being “turned against God’s law of love,” Herbert W. Armstrong explained in Mystery of the Ages. “He became jealous of God, envious and resentful against God. He allowed lust and greed to fill him, and he became bitter. This inspired a spirit of violence! He deliberately became his Maker’s adversary and enemy. That was his choice, not God’s—yet allowed by God!” This being “directed his supernatural powers henceforth to evil. He became bitter not only against God, but against God’s law. He used his subtle wiles of deception to lead the angels under him into disloyalty, rebellion and revolt against the Creator and finally into a warof aggression and violence to attempt to depose God and seize the throne of the universe.”
Before that rebellion, the universe was at peace! “The law of God’s government is the way of life that causes and produces peace, happiness, prosperity and well-being,” Mr. Armstrong wrote. “Sin is the way of life that has caused all existing evils. … So the rebellion of angels that sinned (2 Peter 2:4-6; Jude 6-7; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17) brought this extreme cataclysm to the Earth” (ibid).
Notice this statement made right after a prophecy about this war in heaven between God and Satan the devil: “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” (Isaiah 14:16). God concludes this section about Lucifer’s fall by saying, I want you to consider what this great being did!
The Hebrew word for the expression “narrowly look at” means “to gaze or gawk at.” Those who stare at this miserable being will deeply ponder and meditate on the devastating consequences of his self-centered ways.
Like the admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11, this is an example showing us what not to do.
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