Lucifer - 1
Introduction:
1. If you ask someone to give some names by which the devil is known, what answers do you think
would be given?
a. Satan (I Corinthians 5:5).
b. Devil (Matthew 4:1).
c. Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).
d. God of this world (II Corinthians 4:4).
2. What about Lucifer?
a. This is a name often attributed to Satan by those in the world.
b. But does the Bible ever use this name in reference to Satan?
c. This is what we will examine today.
3. Please turn to Isaiah 14:12.
a. Open your Bibles and follow along!
I.
II.
The common understanding of Isaiah 14:12-14.
A. As early as the 2nd century BC, there were apocryphal writings which described angels
falling from heaven.
1. The 2nd book of Enoch is one often quoted in reference to this.
2. Around that time, some added Satan as the chief angel who fell.
B. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries after Christ, Lucifer was a common name used to describe
Satan.
1. Origen and Tertullian both used this as a proper name for the devil.
2. Because of this use, it was assumed by quite a few (and it is the common
interpretation by most claiming Christ) that Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 is a
description of Satan himself.
C. Isaiah 14:12 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art
thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations.
1. The common understanding of this verse is that Satan was once an angel
(because Lucifer is said to have fallen FROM heaven).
2. He is called Lucifer (literally Day-Star or Light-Bringer), which is a reference to
the greatest star in the sky for us: the sun.
3. He is the son of the morning (he brings forth the light).
4. Lucifer, who weakened the nations, was cast down.
a. Most believe this is a reference to Satan causing people to sin.
b. In doing this, he weakens them before God.
D. Isaiah 14:13 – For thou has 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
side of the north.
1. Most believe this is the pride of Satan wishing to take the place of God (or
refusal to submit to Him), while in heaven.
2. He wishes to exalt himself above God.
3. This pride, according to the common understanding, is why Satan was cast
down from heaven.
E. Isaiah 14:14 – I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.
1. This again is described as the pride of Satan who tried to take control in heaven.
2. This is pointed to as the cause for Satan’s fall.
The context of Isaiah 14.
A. This chapter is in the midst of prophecies against various nations.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
III.
Chapter 13 begins prophecies against Babylon (13:1).
Chapter 15 describes a prophecy against Moab (15:1).
Chapter 17 is a prophecy against Syria/Damascus (17:1, 3).
Chapter 18 is a prophecy against Ethiopia (18:1).
Chapter 19 begins prophecies against Egypt (19:1).
Chapter 21 includes prophecies against Babylon (21:9), Edom (21:11), and
Arabia (21:13).
7. Chapter 22 is a prophecy against Jerusalem (22:9).
8. Chapter 23 is a prophecy against Tyre (23:1).
B. Isaiah 14 is the only chapter that mentions Lucifer in the entire Bible.
1. Does it not seem odd that in a section of Scripture which describes the FUTURE
fall and punishment of nations, God would have Isaiah describe an event that
supposedly took place thousands of years earlier?
2. There is nowhere else in the Scriptures which mention Lucifer, so we must look
at the context to see who this Lucifer truly is.
C. Isaiah 14 continues the prophecy against Babylon which began in Isaiah 13:1.
1. Isaiah is told in 14:4 – take up this proverb against the king of Babylon.
2. Isaiah 14:22 has God saying that he would “rise up against them” and “cut off
from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew.”
3. So, the verses before and after the “Lucifer section” both deal with prophecies
against Babylon.
Evidence that Lucifer is a description of the king of Babylon, and not Satan.
A. Reasons Lucifer is the king of Babylon.
1. This prophecy is “against the king of Babylon” (14:4).
2. This king described ruled the nations (Babylon was the world power whose
Empire stretched throughout the middle east and into Africa) (14:6).
3. The grave, where all previous kings are, awaited this king as well (14:9-10).
a. These kings died and went to Hades (Sheol in Hebrew), the realm of the
dead ones.
b. This king being described (Lucifer) is met by them when he comes there.
c. He meets the same fate as those who were already dead (14:10).
d. Just like these previous kings were killed by an attacking nation/empire,
so was the king of Babylon killed in the same way (Daniel 5:30).
4. This king thought of himself as above all people, and a worthy object of worship
(14:13-14).
a. The kings of Babylon indeed believed this of themselves.
b. See Daniel 3 – Nebuchadnezzar demanded worship.
5. This king would be brought down from his self-made perch (14:15).
a. He would be sent to the realm of the dead ones, Sheol or Hades.
6. He would not be buried with other kings (14:18-19).
a. The final king of Babylon was reputed to be thrown out of the city
where his body was trampled (see end of verse 19).
7. He owned land and killed his own people (14:20).
B. Reasons Lucifer is NOT Satan.
1. Satan will not go to Hades, for Hades will be destroyed at the final judgment
(Revelation 20:14).
2. Satan will not go to the grave, for he is not human.
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3. This cannot describe the so-called “fall” of Satan, because it takes place after
many kings had already died.
a. If Satan was kicked out of heaven, it must have taken place before
anyone had ever died on earth.
b. Satan was a murderer “from the beginning” (John 8:44), and thus there
could not have been any kings already in the grave awaiting him.
4. Lucifer is called a “man” (14:16).
a. Satan is not a “man,” a human king as Lucifer is described as being.
C. Objections to this reasoning.
1. What about God saying that Lucifer fell FROM heaven? Doesn’t that prove that
Lucifer was a heavenly being cast down?
a. The Edomites thought they were completely safe, and exalted
themselves (Obadiah).
b. They are described as exalting themselves to rest in the stars (Obadiah
4).
c. The king of Babylon demanded to be worshipped and thought he could
not be defeated.
d. He exalted himself, and acted as if he were God.
e. Notice also, that Lucifer had said of himself “I will ascend INTO heaven”
(14:13).
f. He was not in heaven, but thought so highly of himself that he thought
he was deity!
g. The language God uses is not one of literally being cast out of God’s
abode in heaven, but instead is sarcasm.
h. The king of Babylon thought he was so great, so God says “I will bring
you down from your high perch, I will cast you down, oh great star in
the sky.”
2. What about Ezekiel 28:12-19? Doesn’t that describe Satan being a perfect angel
and being cast down from heaven?
a. Many people join this and Isaiah 14:12-14, saying it describes the same
event, because of some similar language.
a. This person is said, by God, to be “full of wisdom, and perfect
beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12).
b. This person is also said to have been “in Eden, the garden of
God,” and covered with every precious stone (28:13).
c. This person is called “an anointed cherub,” “upon the holy
mountain of God” (28:14).
d. This person was “perfect” until “iniquity was found in” him
(28:15).
b. However, we must again look at the context.
a. Ezekiel 28:12 says that this is describing the king of Tyre (the
previous two chapters were prophecies against the actual city
of Tyre).
b. Tyre had set itself up as beautiful and perfect (though they were
not). God is using their own inflated view of themselves to
describe them.
c. Kings would destroy the king of Tyre (28:17).
i. Satan will be destroyed by kings?
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d. The “casting out” of the king of Tyre is described in FUTURE
tense, because it had not yet happened.
i. If this describes a pre-creation fall of Satan, why would
it be in future tense?
e. The king of Tyre will be destroyed by a fire UPON THE EARTH
(28:18).
f. Those who see this destruction will be terrified, and the king will
then be no more (28:19).
i. Tyre no longer exists.
ii. Satan still does, however.
D. It is interesting that two of the three major sections of Scripture which are used to
“prove” Satan is a fallen angel cast down from heaven have nothing to do with Satan at
all.
1. The third major passage is Revelation 12, but that is something we will cover at
a later time.
Conclusion:
1.
Is realizing that Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 is speaking of the king of Babylon a salvation issue? No.
2.
The important issue here is one of going to the Bible to find answers.
a. We must look at what the Scripture says, and make sure we take the passages in their
context.
b. One example of this is Revelation 3:20 – Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and
he with me.
i. This verse is used by many people to say, “just invite Jesus into your heart and
you will be saved.”
ii. The context, however, is speaking to those who are already Christians.
iii. Therefore, the proper application of the verse it that Christians need to let Jesus
back in!
c. Do not accept what someone tells you the Bible says without looking at it for yourself.
d. Preachers are fallible too, so make sure you open your Bibles and be like the Bereans
who examined the Scriptures to see if they were being told the truth.