Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict, part 2 - introduction; John 16:7-15; Matt 25:41; Eze 28:11-19.

Title: Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict, part 2 - introduction; John 16:7-15; Matt 25:41; EZE 28:11-19.

 

Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict:

1.Introduction - setting the stage.

 

Lucifer committed the first sin and God condemned (EZE 28:17); all angels fell (REV 15:4); reconciliation was offered (COL 1:20); Satan and 13 rejected it (REV 12:4); condemnation stands for fallen angels (MAT 25:41); sentence executed at end of human history (REV 20:10).

 

Therefore, if the sentence was given before human history and the execution after human history and added to this is the fact that quite often human beings are referred to as witnesses; it must be true that human history is a part of this conflict and trial.

 

Backed up by several scriptures we conclude that satan appealed his sentence and God allowed the appeal. Witnesses would be created in the form of Homo sapiens, created in God’s image, but inferior mentally and physically to angels, and God knew that out of mankind He would bring many of them to His glory by Himself becoming one of them.

 

Reasons for appeal:

In appeals on the record, the decision of the prior decision maker is challenged by arguing that he, she or they misapplied the law, came to an incorrect factual finding, acted in excess of his jurisdiction, abused discretionary powers, was biased, considered evidence which should not have been considered, or failed to consider evidence that should have been considered.

 

For satan the appeal argument was most certainly an abusive discretionary power by God the Father under the premise that a loving God cannot cast His creatures into eternal fire.

 

And isn’t it interesting that abusive discretionary power is what made the man with the mina afraid of his king.

 

However a reason must be proven as to why a loving God cannot do this according to law, and since God is the maker of all law then satan must prove that God has broken His own law. This would make God unjust, unfair, and unrighteous. Basically satan must prove that God’s integrity, made up of His justice and righteousness is not 100% pure.

 

Ps 89:5 And the heavens will praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

 

Ps 89:6 For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord,

 

Ps 89:7 A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him?

 

Ps 89:8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like Thee, O mighty Lord? Thy faithfulness also surrounds Thee.

 

Ps 89:9 Thou dost rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, Thou dost still them.

 

Ps 89:10 Thou Thyself didst crush Rahab [strong enemy of God] like one who is slain; Thou didst scatter Thine enemies with Thy mighty arm.

 

Ps 89:11 The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them.

 

Ps 89:12 The north and the south, Thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon [east and west] shout for joy at Thy name.

 

Ps 89:13 Thou hast a strong arm; Thy hand is mighty, Thy right hand is exalted [ “raised” strength in action].

 

Ps 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne; Lovingkindness [strength, steadfastness, and love] and truth go before Thee.

 

The angelic conflict is the result of prehistoric creatures being in opposition to God, which began with the fall of Satan, and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God.

 

It refers to two trials of Satan and fallen angels, one in prehistoric times, the other during human history.

 

Two trials: Prehistoric trial - the fall of the angels and God’s offer of redemption.

Historic trial - satan’s repeal, which is coterminous with human history.

 

Naturally, our main focus is the historic trial since we are a part of it; in fact, we are a part of the most intense part of it.

 

In the historic trial of the AC, satan’s appeal is an attack on the righteousness and justice of God with the hope of proving that God has no right to condemn him.

 

The appeal does not in any way make satan the aggressor or prosecutor, although that’s what he would love for you to believe.

 

God is the prosecutor and satan is the defense. The prosecution calls its witnesses first.

 

If a system is revealed to the human race and subsequently angels, that proves God’s character to be righteous and just by many witnesses, and under that same system certain members of the human race are exalted to heaven while others are condemned to the lake of fire, and the only difference being their own choice to have it so, then the sentence against satan and the fallen angels is just.

 

The system would have to test God’s integrity under a tremendous number of possible situations that God would direct and satan could imagine so as to challenge and test the fabric of that integrity.

 

One failure, no matter how small, that would reveal God’s integrity to be less than pure, even by a millionth of a fraction, would confirm the appeal and satan would be justified in being independent from God.

 

Though appeal trials follow different procedures than criminal trials we can see from the general outline of a criminal trial how the AC plays out in human history.

 

The many legal procedures associated with modern criminal trials have developed over centuries. States and the federal government follow a largely uniform set of procedures. Assuming that the criminal trial is carried out to completion, those procedures are as follows:

 

2. Outline of the trial of the fallen angels.

 

1. Judge or Jury Trial.The defense often has the right to decide whether a case will be tried to a judge or jury, but in some jurisdictions both the prosecution and the defense have the right to demand a jury trial. Juries consist of 12 persons in serious felony cases, but some states allow for as few as six person juries in less serious misdemeanor cases.

 

The prehistoric case was tried by a Judge only whereas the appellate case was and is being tried by a jury (human race).

 

Prehistoric trial: satan’s fall - “I will be like the Most High,” (ISA 14:12). Judge’s sentence - eternal fire, however reconciliation is offered and rejected, and so the sentence stands.

 

We have no idea how long this went on.

 

This is why God says there is no one like Me or no one above Me over and over again in the Psalms - these statements are direct rebuttals against this attack.

 

Once I took a trip to CA with my friends Scott and Jeff. We rented a convertible and drove up and down the coast and then decided to drive out to Vegas. I noticed on the map that on the way we were driving very close to Sequoia National Forest and I thought it would be fun to check out some huge trees.

 

open map Just because on paper things seem to be close, things are not always what they appear.

 

How long it was from the perfection of EP when there was but one perfect will of God to the fall of angels and then the start of human history is completely unknown, though on paper it seems that it might be close.

 

GEN 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

 

GEN 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

 

 “formless” - tohuw = wasteland, wilderness, place of chaos.

“void” - bohuw = emptiness, void, waste.

 

Those who fail to see the tremendous gap here do not compare scripture with scripture while looking into the original language:

 

ISA 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens

(He is the God who formed the earth and made it,

He established it and did not create it a waste place,

But formed it to be inhabited),

"I am the Lord, and there is none else.

 

 “He did not create the earth tohuw.” (ISA 45:8)

 

Therefore, the earth became formless or chaotic and void after the prehistoric trial was complete. Tremendous darkness fell over the face of God’s creation.

 

God is perfect, full of light, joy, and creation and therefore God must create everything perfect and good.

 

Matt 12:35

The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil.

 

If this is true of man then it is certainly true of God. False teachers in history have seen this dilemma since evil exists in the world and some, like Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy sought to resolve it by saying that God had created everything perfect, and that, therefore, everything is perfect, and that any impression to the contrary is but an error of mortal mind. She and many others like her have become a casualty in this conflict, failing to recognize the reality of human history. What she failed to realize was that the invisible war had broken out against the background of a perfect creation, and that God, for His own purposes, which we shall study in detail, put forth His Word to turn that perfect creation into a wreck and a ruin, and in some time later, restore it for yet another trial of appeal.

 

Due to the sentencing of the prehistoric trial, angels are divided into two categories. Elect angels possess eternal salvation. Fallen angels are sentenced to the Lake of Fire prior to human history.