EVERY perfect creature must be a free moral agent. The creature must have the liberty to exercise his power for good or evil as he may choose. In no other way could he be tested and proven. God could have made all of his creatures so that they could not do evil, but had he done so that would have prevented them from exercising freely their attributes and God would thereby preclude himself from testing and proving his creatures.
The heart is the seat of affection or motive. It is that faculty of the being which induces action. If impurity enters the heart impurity of action is almost certain to follow. Hence it is written: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." — Proverbs 4:23.
Love is one of the divine attributes. Love is the perfect expression of unselfishness. Selfishness, the very antithesis of love, begins in the secret intent of the heart. Selfishness expels love. With love gone the heart becomes malicious. The creature possessing a malicious heart is one who is extremely selfish, having no regard for duty or obligation to others and fatally bent on accomplishing his purposes regardless of great wrong that may result to others.
The glory and beauty of the heavenly creatures, the perfection of the human pair in their Eden home, and
the power and authority of man to fill the earth with his kind, furnished the opportunity for exercising either selfishness or love. The test came and some of the mighty creatures of heaven fell under the test. The joy of heaven and earth was turned into great woe.
The tragedy of Eden has never known a parallel. In fact all other crimes and tragedies may be traced to the one there committed. Its enormity is enhanced by reason of the intelligence and greatness of the perpetrator of the crime and of his confidential relationship to the Eternal Creator. That terrible crime blighted the hopes of men and angels, filled the earth with woe and caused the very heavens to weep. It started the wheels of evil and has caused them to roll on down through the corridors of the ages spreading war, murder, disease, pestilence and famine, thus crushing out the life-blood of countless millions.
So powerful, deceptive and cunning has been that arch criminal that the sensibilities of mankind have been stunned and benumbed, and the people for centuries have been kept in ignorance of the cause and its far reaching effects. But now it seems certain that the time has come for God to pull back the curtain and let man have a better view and understanding of the terrible criminal and of his crime, that men may flee from the influence of the wicked one and find refuge in the arms of the Savior of the world.
Jehovah was man's benefactor and friend. He had created Adam, given him a wife, provided him with a beautiful home, made him monarch of all he surveyed, Clothed him with power to fill the planet with a perfect race of people, to subdue the earth, and rule it. Naturally Adam would love God. In addition to that he was so
created that he would instinctively worship the One who was his friend and provider.
The will of God is his law. When that will is expressed toward man it is the law of God by which man is to be governed. A refusal to obey God's law makes the creature a disloyal subject. Without law there could be no way of testing man's loyalty. There must be a rule of action commanding that which is right and prohibiting that which is wrong. God provided a law for man. It was in connection with the food of Adam that God expressed his will or commandment. No evil effects would of course result merely from the food, because all the food was perfect; but the evil result would be from the act of disobedience of God's law. The loss of life to man meant the loss of everything. God could not permit an unlawful creature to possess eternal life. He provided man's food and in connection therewith said: "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." — Genesis 2:16,17.
It was in keeping with God's loving provision for man to appoint an overseer or helper or protector who would aid man in avoiding the doing of that which was wrong and which would bring upon him the penalty for the violation of God's law. It was the bright shining one, Lucifer, whom God selected and placed in Eden as overlord or protector of man. Concerning him and his appointment to this responsible office God said: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee go." (Ezekiel 28:14) Anointed means that Lucifer, the cherub, was clothed with power and
authority in the name of God to do certain things, and in this instance he was clothed with power and authority as overlord in the "garden of God" to look after the interests of man and to keep him in the right way. Cherub means an officer or deputy to whom are delegated certain heavenly powers and duties. The word "covereth" means to screen, to shield, to protect. It therefore follows that Lucifer was clothed with power and authority to act as an overseer for man; to screen, to shield and protect him from taking a wrongful course by violating God's law. It was his solemn duty, both to man and to God, to direct and influence humanity to go in the right way, that man might thereby honor God and prolong his life on the earth.
God had also clothed Lucifer with the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14) It was therefore a part of the official duty of Lucifer to put to death the man if he did violate God's law. For this reason Lucifer occupied a confidential or fiduciary relationship toward God and man. There was committed into his hands a sacred trust of keeping God's newly begun government on earth in a pure and proper condition. To betray that trust in order that he might overturn God's appointed means of government in Eden would be an act of treason. The perpetration of the crime of treason under such conditions would cover the perpetrator with perfidy and make him a nefarious, despicable creature and the blackest of all criminals. Clothed with the most honorable position in the universe aside from that of the Logos, even different from the Logos because placed as overlord and protector of a domain, the betrayal of that trust is so terrible that it could not be properly stated in human phrase. The beauty, the purity and
innocence of the perfect man and perfect woman, in an environment far more beautiful than, any human eye has ever seen since, makes more pronounced the depravity of the heart that could commit the terrible crime hereinafter described.
Being one of the "Morning Stars" who witnessed the creation of man and of his perfect home, and being appointed to the position of trust and confidence as man's overlord, Lucifer of course knew that God had en-powered man to produce his own species and that in due time the earth would be filled with a perfect race of people. He knew that man was so created that he must worship his benefactor. He knew that he must destroy in the mind of man the thought that God is his benefactor. Lucifer became ambitious to control the human race and to receive the worship to which God was justly entitled.
Lucifer was impressed with his own beauty and importance and power and forgot that he owed an obligation to his Creator. Selfishness entered his heart. His motive was wrong and his heart became malignant. He was moved to take action concerning Adam and his motive was wicked. Concerning this evil purpose the prophet records of Lucifer: "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." (Isaiah 14:13,14) The Scriptures clearly show that Lucifer's process of reasoning like this:
"I am overlord of man in Eden. I have the power
to put man to death, but even though man violates God's law I will not exercise that power. I will induce man to believe that God is not his friend and benefactor but in truth and in fact is deceiving man. Besides this, God will not be able to put man to death and at the same time maintain his own consistency; because he has declared that that tree in the midst of Eden is the tree of life, and to eat of that tree means that one will live forever. I will therefore take man to that tree and direct him to eat, and then he will not die but will live for ever.
"But before I do that I will first induce Adam to believe that God is keeping him in ignorance and withholding from him the things that he is justly entitled to receive. Adam loves his wife. I will first induce Eve to do my bidding, and then through her I will be able to control Adam. I will so throw the circumstances around Adam that he too will be induced to eat of the forbidden tree of knowledge, and then I will refuse to put either of them to death. Then I will immediately take them to the tree of life and have them eat of that fruit, then they will live for ever and not die. By this means I will win them over to me and I will keep them alive for ever. I will defy God; and while he has a realm of angels and other creatures of heaven that worship him I will be like the Most High and will be worshiped even as God is worshiped."
The Scriptures show that thus did Lucifer plan a rebellion. It was a cunning scheme that Lucifer thus devised; he thought it was a wise scheme. Evidently God knew about it from its inception, but he did not interfere until Lucifer had gone to the point of committing the overt act by overreaching man and inducing
him to sin. Concerning this God said: '"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty. Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." (Ezekiel 28:17) This selfish meditation in the heart of Lucifer was the beginning of iniquity in him. Up to that time he had been perfect Of him God says: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ezekiel 28:15) The imperfection of Lucifer dates from that moment. That was the beginning of rebellion. That selfish meditation in his heart led to the terrible crime of treason and all the baneful effects that have followed since.
THE CRIME
Lucifer, having carefully planned his crime, now proceeds to carry it out. To do so he resorts to fraud, deception and lying. When the Logos was on the earth he stated that Lucifer "is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44), thereby showing that Lucifer gave utterance to the first lie that was ever told. That lie is, 'There is no death"; and the emissaries of the evil one have been telling that lie to the people ever since.
Lucifer employed the serpent to carry out his scheme, because the serpent was more subtle than any other beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Lucifer therefore spoke through the serpent and said: "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto
the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that is was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." — Genesis 3:1-6.
God had given his word that this tree produced a fruit that would increase the knowledge of those that ate it. The result was that when Adam and Eve did eat this forbidden fruit their knowledge was increased in harmony with God's announced law. They were now , conscious of the fact that they had done wrong, because they hid themselves amongst the trees in the garden from the presence of the Lord. He brought them before him. They entered a plea of guilty, confessing that they had done wrong, and thereupon God entered against them the following judgment, to wit:
"Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee: and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." — Genesis 3:16-19.
The Scriptures mention three classes of fruit-bearing trees in the garden of Eden, to wit: (a) every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; (b) the tree of life in the midst of the garden; and (c) the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9) God told Adam that he might eat of all the trees that were good for him. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." — Genesis 2:15-17.
There is no evidence that Adam knew anything about the tree of life that was in the midst of Eden. On the contrary he must have been ignorant of it, because there was no specific command given to him concerning it. Lucifer as the officer in charge, being clothed with the power of death and entrusted with the high office of overlord of man, would of course know all about the tree of life. The fact that God gave Adam command about other trees in the garden and said nothing about the tree of life is evidence that man knew nothing about this tree. The eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil doubtless would open the way so that Adam would shortly know about the tree of life. But now comes the proof showing conclusively that Adam had had no opportunity to eat of the tree of life and that therefore he must have been in ignorance of it until immediately before his expulsion from Eden.
God summoned the guilty parties before him and, upon a full hearing of the facts, pronounced judgment against the woman and against the man and against
the serpent which Satan had employed to deceive Eve. The final judgment against Lucifer or Satan is set forth in the prophecy of Ezekiel, and it provides that in due time he is to be destroyed and never shall be again. Immediately following the pronouncement of the judgment against man God addressed some one, then and there present, and it seems almost certain that he was speaking to the Logos, his true and trusted Son. We read: "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever." (Genesis 3: 22) Mark the words of Jehovah here recorded: "Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil."
Knowing the situation was critical God seemingly acted immediately, before man had an opportunity to get to the tree of life and eat of it, and even before Lucifer had time to inform man of the location of the tree. The words addressed to the Logos were cut short; the sentence seemingly stops in the middle without being finished, to wit: "And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: — " Note the record. God did not speak another word, but acted immediately; and his action is recorded in the next verse, which reads: "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." — Genesis 3: 23, 24.
It was doubtless God's purpose at some time to permit man to partake of the tree of life and live for ever
and, had he proven faithful under the test, that would have been his reward. Lucifer therefore caused him to fail in the test, caused him to fail to get life, and caused him to bring upon himself and all of his progeny the great sorrow and distress that have afflicted humankind down through the centuries.
Lucifer had manifested his unfaithfulness and treachery and doubtless intended to act as quickly as possible and lead man to the tree of life and let him eat of that fruit. He knew that God had given his word that the fruit of that tree was a fruit of life, and that if man should eat of it he would live and not die. Lucifer therefore reasoned that he would be able to prove to Adam and Eve that God was purposely deceiving them and keeping them in ignorance and keeping them away from the opportunity for life; and that he, Lucifer, was telling them the truth and was bringing them a great blessing, and that hence he was entitled to be worshiped by them and by all of their offspring.
Had Adam eaten of that fruit of the tree of life immediately he could not have been put to death by Jehovah himself, because God cannot be inconsistent. God had given his word that this is a tree of life; and for him to permit man to eat of it and then put him to death would make void his word, which is impossible for God to do. (Psalm 138:2; Isaiah 46:11l; 55; 11) Therefore in order that God might keep his word inviolate and enforce his judgment against Adam he immediately expelled Adam from Eden and set a powerful officer on guard with a flaming sword turning in every direction, to keep man out of Eden and away from the tree of life.
Why did not God kill Lucifer at the time? Other scriptures show that it was and is the purpose of God that all of his intelligent creatures shall observe and learn the evil effects of sin, and that Lucifer and his sin will serve as a means of testing other creatures. In due time every intelligent creature of God will have an opportunity under full and fair conditions to follow the course of Lucifer and take the consequences, or to follow the righteous commands of God and receive the reward of being permitted to partake of the tree of life and live for ever.
Why did not God kill man forthwith? Other scriptures show that man at that time had not exercised his powers to beget children. No children were born. Furthermore, the Scriptures show that it has been and is the purpose of God to permit all men to profit by the experience of Adam. Hence he permitted Adam to continue on earth 930 years, during which time he begat and brought forth his children. Now he has permitted a sufficient length of time to elapse for the birth of a sufficient number of Adam's posterity to populate the earth. All of these have suffered from the baneful effects of sin, eventuating in death; but in due time they shall come forth and be brought to a knowledge of the truth, that they may know the reason why they have suffered. Then they shall have an opportunity to abide in sin and suffer eternal destruction or to follow the righteous commands of God and live for ever. Otherwise stated, God's purpose is to teach the entire human race by experience.
Adam was sentenced to death. This sentence was enforced against him by compelling him to eat of the fruits of the unfinished part of the earth, which gradual-
ly resulted in his death. Within that period of 930 years his children were brought forth. While these were not formally sentenced to death they were all born sinners. The imperfect Adam, undergoing the death sentence, could not beget perfect children. Hence it is written by the psalmist: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5) To the same effect is the apostle's statement in Romans 5:12: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Thus is seen the terrible and far-reaching effects of this rebellion. It has brought all the suffering and sorrow, sickness and death, wars, famines and pestilences to which humankind have been heir during the past 6000 years. The very first son that Adam had was a murderer, and Lucifer the Devil induced him to commit the murder; therefore Lucifer was a party to the crime. Lucifer is guilty of every murder that has ever been committed on this earth.
No longer did God permit his creature Lucifer to go by the name which signified a bright shining one. His name was changed from Lucifer, and he was thereafter known by the four names, to wit: Satan, which means adversary or opponent; Devil, which means slanderer; Serpent, which means deceiver; and Dragon, which means devourer. He has been defiant and arrogant, and has opposed God ever since the time of Eden. He has slandered God's holy name and brought reproach upon him and upon everyone who sought to do the Lord's will. He has used every possible means to deceive the people and turn their minds away from
God. He sought to devour or destroy everyone that has faithfully tried to obey God's holy will.
This arch-enemy has had many emissaries on earth who have paraded themselves in the name and as the representatives of the Lord. Amongst these were the clergy of Jesus' time, and to them and of them he said: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." — John 8:44.
The rebellion did not stop with that of Lucifer and man. In heaven there was a host of angels, many of whom afterwards rebelled. The children of Adam increased. The women were beautiful in form and fair to look upon. The angels saw that men and women cohabited and children resulted. It was the will of God that the angels should remain on the spirit plane and that they should not leave their estate or life on the spirit plane and mingle with human beings and cohabit with women. But many of these angels, misled and seduced by Satan the Devil, joined in the rebellion against God, as it is written: "And it came to pass » . . that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. . . . There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." — Genesis 6: 2,4,5.
In due time these rebellious ones who kept not their first estate were imprisoned. (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4) Many other angels of heaven joined Satan in his rebellion, and for centuries these have been serving with him and following his wicked course of reproaching God and oppressing men. (Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Kings 22:22) The Scriptures declare that in God's due time all these wicked angels who joined the rebellion with Satan shall be destroyed.
What terrible havoc this rebellion wrought! The great, beautiful and wonderful Lucifer, now degraded and covered with perfidy, becomes the very embodiment of wickedness. Many of the pure and holy angels of heaven, once enjoying the smile of the great Jehovah God and the fellowship of the faithful Logos, turned to wickedness; and now they find themselves in prison, ultimately to be destroyed. Adam, once pure, holy, perfect, strong and vigorous, was driven from the perfect Eden into the unfinished earth. His offspring have ever since been compelled to earn their bread in the sweat of their face and to suffer disease and sickness; and eventually in sorrow they go down to the grave. Above all, man was deprived of sweet communion with the mighty eternal God. All of these centuries man has been in bondage to sin and death, groaning and travailing under his burdens, desiring, begging and praying that some time and in some way he might be delivered.
Early God began the operation of his marvelous plan for the deliverance of man and for his restoration. Exercising his power in exact harmony with justice,
wisdom and love God has been working out his great plan to this end. Now the time has come for the peoples of the earth to begin to get a clearer vision of God's great plan of salvation and to learn how and when he will bring about man's complete deliverance.
