For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. (Isaiah 14:1)
The reassembled and revitalised Israel would welcome Gentiles to partake in God's blessings alongside them. This invitation extends to foreigners specifically proselytes – individuals who, although not born Jewish, have wholeheartedly embraced the Jewish faith. United, they will share in the divine goodness and experience God's grace as one community.
12“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation.
On the farthest sides of the north;
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15)
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
In this passage, the prophet casts a spotlight on the king of Babylon, identifying him as Lucifer, the son of the morning. While some argue over whether Lucifer is a name or a title, the word itself signifies the morning star or day star, symbolising a radiant and dazzling celestial object. The debate over its nature as a name or title ultimately holds little weight, as the central message remains the same: the once-glorious king of Babylon has tragically plummeted from his lofty heavenly position.
Fallen from Heaven: In fact, there are four falls of satan, and this passage refers to his final, fourth fall.
i. Satan's fall from glorified to profane (Ezekiel 28:14-16) is the first of the four falls. Jesus referred to this event in Luke 10:18, saying He witnessed Satan fall like lightning from heaven. This initial fall symbolises Satan's descent from a celestial being of immense glory to a profane and sinister entity. It serves as a reminder of how even the most powerful can be corrupted and lose their esteemed status.
ii. The second fall of Satan involves his banishment from having access to heaven (Job 1:12, 1 Kings 22:21, Zechariah 3:1) to being restricted solely to the earth (Revelation 12:9). This phase of his downfall marks a transition from a supernatural presence to a confined earthly existence. This further emphasises the consequences of sin and disobedience, as even the mightiest of beings can be cast out of divine realms.
iii. Satan's third fall sees him plummet from his place on earth to imprisonment in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). This demonstrates the eventual triumph of divine justice over evil. The thousand-year period of Satan's confinement serves as a powerful testament to the ultimate victory of good over evil and the reign of peace that will ensue during his absence.
iv. The fourth and final fall of Satan, as mentioned in Isaiah 14:12, occurs when he is cast from the bottomless pit into the lake of fire, commonly known as hell (Revelation 20:10). This ultimate fall signifies the complete and irrevocable defeat of evil. Satan's eternal punishment in the lake of fire is a sobering reminder of the ultimate consequences of rebellion against God and the importance of choosing the path of righteousness.
"Son of the Morning" is a title that evokes images of splendour, beauty, and honour, attributes that perfectly embodied Lucifer before his fateful fall. The morning, with its radiant glow and promise of a new day, is an emblem of hope and glory. Lucifer, in his original form, epitomised these qualities, reflecting the magnificence of the dawn.
Even Lord Jesus is referred to as the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), indicating the divine brilliance that once resided within Lucifer as a created being. It is no surprise, then, that Satan has the ability to transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), beguiling many with his seemingly radiant presence and deceptive goodness.
The Five “I Will’s” of satan
For you have said in your heart: Here, God tells us the reason behind the fall of both the literal and spiritual king of Babylon. The fall was prompted by something he said, even though he may have never said it with his lips – it was enough that he said it in his heart.
In this passage, we uncover the reasons behind the fall of both the literal and spiritual king of Babylon. The fall originated from the thoughts he harboured in his heart, regardless of whether they were ever spoken aloud – it was enough that he said it in his heart.
a) "I will ascend into heaven": Satan desired to claim heaven as his home and place of honour, longing to establish himself among the divine.
b) "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God": He sought to elevate himself above all other angelic beings, desiring to be enthroned and exalted above all others in the celestial realm.
c) "I will also sit on the mount of the congregation": Satan aimed to position himself in a place of glory, honour, and attention, where he would be the focal point and command the admiration of others.
d) "I will ascend above the heights": He aspired to continually rise, even within heaven itself, to be seen by all in his dazzling splendour and grandeur.
e) "I will be like the Most High": Satan's ultimate ambition was to be revered and esteemed as equal to God, far surpassing all other created beings in glory and power.
Each of these points reveals the depths of satan's pride and his insatiable hunger for power and recognition. His aspirations, fueled by arrogance and self-importance, ultimately led to his tragic fall from grace.
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