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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Lucifer Has Fallen

Lucifer is commonly associated with the prince of darkness, the adversary, the serpent, the devil, a.k.a. Satan. Only in the last few decades has this association been challenged. The secular world and even many Christians will contend that Lucifer is a misnomer and a poor translation of scripture [1].
After much study I have come to realize that there isn't conclusive Biblical evidence either way. Still I tend to side with many centuries of tradition even though there are arguments to the contrary [2]. This is such a difficult debate because both sides hold truth. The name Lucifer applies to both Satan and the fallen kings of the earth through the common bond of idolatry.
It wasn't until the fourth century A.D. that the name Lucifer was even used in the Bible. It was first introduced by Saint Jerome in his Latin Vulgate and later preserved by the dedicated scholars and linguists that produced the King James Version of the Bible.
The interesting part is that Lucifer appeared in St. Jerome's translation several times [3] but now occurs in the Holy Sciptures only once. And even then, very few of the modern translations have maintained this choice of wording.
Before I continue, let's take a look at where this unholy name appears in the KJV:

Isaiah 14:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
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.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
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;

This is a very powerful progression of verses. A picture begins to emerge which is used repeatedly throughout God's Word; that of a man so full of self-idolizing power that he becomes consumed with the desire to become like the most High and ascend into heaven to exalt his throne above the stars of God. This man is blinded by his own light, his vision clouded by an unsatiable hunger for power. Although he can't see it, it's made crystal clear where he's headed.
Does that remind you of anyone? That's right, the Antichrist. Satan controls the spirit of antichrist (Revelation 13:2) and may take an earthly host to complete his dirty work (recall that Satan entered Judas John 13:27). Satan is also cast down in the same way Lucifer was (Revelation 12:9).

Back to the name itself. Why did St. Jerome choose Lucifer, why didn't he just use the name Satan if that's what he meant? Like all of scripture, there is purpose. Let's look to the original texts.

In the original Hebrew the reference is to Heylel ben Shachar. The first Hebrew word Heylel means morning star, literally the planet Venus; from the root word halal meaning to shine or give light, also quite appropriately, to boast [4]. The second word, ben, means son (of). Shachar translates generally to morning, or properly to dawn [5] (as used in the RSV, NAS, NIV & YLT).
During the fourth century when Jerome was translating from the Greek of the Septuagint to the Latin of the Vulgate, the planet Venus was called Lucifer. It was called the same in Roman Astrology [6]. So we see that Jerome made a logical choice of wording in this particular passage and timeframe to associate Isaiah 14:12 with the morning star Venus.
That explains his logic, but why did the KJV scholars preserve the name in Isaiah 14:12 while omitting it in the other verses where Jerome originally included it? This verse was preserved alone to bring light to the nature of Satan and Antichrist. After all, Isaiah is primarily a prophetic book and is not historical in nature. Let's back up a few verses to see why many contend that Lucifer refers only to a man:

Isaiah 14:

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

It is plain to see that these words are directed to the king of Babylon, which at the time was Nebuchadnezzar II. It says right there, plain as day, this verse was directed toward a man, not Satan. This must be corrected at once! (I speak as a publisher.) The correct translation of Heylel should be Morning Star or better yet, Day Star. But wait, isn't Jesus also called the Morning Star and Day Star? He sure is.

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Peter 1:19

In an effort to create a "more accurate" translation (or make a grab for a few more dollars) recent scholars have only caused confusion. I guess they forgot about 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Calling the king of Babylon the Morning Star is describing the grace in which he has fallen from. By inferring that this is also a reference to Satan, Isaiah demonstrates the future rise and fall of the Antichrist who comes as the false messiah and bearer of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Let's see just how much favor Nebuchadnezzar was given prior to his fall:

Jeremiah 27:

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.
But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

That was some serious power and blessing bestowed upon Nebuchadnezzar. What did he do to deserve such preference from God? Not much, but he was certainly a strong military vessel to serve God's purpose by conquering many lands that had not heeded His warnings (Jeremiah 25:4-7).
The United States also has a very strong military and it's commonly argued that North America is a modern day Babylon. This may be true in some respects. We fit the bill in regards to idolatry, confusion, and trade, but there are better and more traditionally held views regarding the identity of the harlot Babylon and the city on seven hills [7].
Back to ancient Babylon. In Daniel 8 Nebuchadnezzar throws Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah into the blazing furnace for not worshiping his image [8]. They are then saved from the fire by the Son of God (Daniel 3:25). This story is very similar to the beast persecuting the saints in the last days for not worshiping his image or receiving his mark.
While we're in the book of Daniel let's take a look at Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic dream which only Daniel could interpret.

Daniel 2:

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream has accurately depicted the successive worldy kingdoms throughout the ages [9]. The last of iron and clay is yet to come. It will be the Antichrist's kingdom. And the stone cut without hands will crush this final kingdom along with all those before it. But who or what is this stone cut without hands? None other than the Lord and Saviour Himself, Christ Jesus (Matthew 21:42, Ephesians 2:20). Amen.

If we look back to Jeremiah 27:2-3 we see that God gave the King of Tyrus into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Tyrus is described in great detail within Ezekiel 28. This chapter is also commonly associated with Lucifer.

Ezekiel 28:

Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

There are several verses here that make it quite difficult to assign all that is said to a mere king [10], hence the association with Satan. The titles of anointed and covering cherub denote a closeness to God as does the description of the precious gems (stones of fire) and the holy mountain of God. In the end, like in Isaiah 14, this king is cast down because of his vain glory (i.e. brightness or splendor, the definitions of halal).
The Phoenician city of Tyre was most famous for it's exclusive production and high trade in an expensive purple dye which was known as Tyrian Purple. The color purple was therefore identified with wealth and royalty.
The word Tyre (or Tzor in Hebrew) means "a rock" and possibly designates it's rocky landscape or even that it once existed as an island [11] (Isaiah 59:18). It's interesting that we see in Tyre the image of a rock (a false Christ) as well as the source of the same purple color that covers the great harlot in Revelation. Let's see what an earlier king of Tyre was like:

1 Kings 16:

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

It's no wonder why God would give the descendant of Ahab into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. He was an idolater of the worst kind as was his wife Jezebel [12]. It's also no coincidence that Jezebel was the daughter of the king of Zidon, a city that would also later be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:3).
Zidon means "fishery", depicting false "fishers of men"; condeming human souls through idolatry rather than setting them free through the truth that is in Christ. The names of Jezebel and her father Ethbaal testify to their allegience with the Babylonian/Canaanite storm and fertility god Baal, earlier called Bel, meaning "owner" or "Lord" (the true Lord being Jesus Christ).
The name Jezebel also appears once in the New Testament in Revelation 2:20. It is used to warn the church at Thyatira against adultrey, fornication, and idolatrous practices. The terms fornication and adultery as used here have not only sexual implications but spiritual as well.
A derivative of Baal is Beelzebub, which like Lucifer is another common name for Satan. Beelzebub means literally "lord of the flies" but it is suggested that this spelling is a derogatory play on the name Baal'zebul which means "Lord of the high places" or "exalted one"; much in the same way Hebrew scribes used "bosheth" (meaning shame [13]) to replace the prefix/suffix "baal" to denote its idolatrous roots. This theory makes perfect sense when compared to the kings of Isaiah and Ezekiel who are self exalted.
Baal was also known to the Ammonites as Molech, the Moabites as Chemosh, and the Edomites as Dushara. Baal's female counterpart is Ashtoreth, a.k.a. Astarte or Asherah. Astarte was identified with the Assyrian fertility goddess Ishtar (pronounced easter, this is where we get the pagan fertility symbols of the rabbit and the egg) who identified with the planet Venus (the bright and morning star).
Astarte was also very similar to the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, who in turn was almost identical to the Roman Venus [14]. Venus was known for her many adulterous relationships against her spouse Vulcan, the god of metal-working (idol fabrication perhaps) and the hearth (Isaiah 54:16).
Standing between the Earth and the Sun are Venus and Mercury. Mercury is the Roman god of communication (including prophecy), trade, and science - all necessary components for the Mark of the Beast. Science says that Venus has an iron core (clay mixed with iron, the feet of Daniel's statue) and a surface gravity of 8.87 m/s2, one less than the number of Jesus at 888. It also had water at one point (think living water) but is now bone dry.
Like the spirtual world, the celestial has varying levels of glory (1 Corinthians 15:41). Venus may give some light at dawn but it is just a twinkling amongst darkness. It is utterly drown out by the true day star: the Sun (Malachi 4:2, noted as the Son).
There's an undeniable relationship between the Antichrist, Satan, Lucifer, Baal, and Venus (both the planet and the goddess). The obvious connection is idolatry. Whether it be self-idolization, exaltation of the natural world, or worship of an unseeing, unhearing & uncaring piece of stone or wood, it is an absolute abomination to God and is a direct transgression of the first and second commandments.
When the Antichrist comes to force the world into idolatry there will be no hope except for those who wear a breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of the hope of salvation (Ephesians 6:13); the full armor of God, which alone is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 4:15).

Psalms 148:

Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.