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The Beginning of the End
permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the
working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work
must condemn him, and the whole universe must see the deceiver
unmasked.
Why Didn’t God Destroy Satan?
Even when Satan was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did
not destroy him. The loyalty of God’s creatures must rest upon a
conviction of His justice and love. At that time, the inhabitants
of heaven and of the world could not have seen the justice of God
in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out
of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than
from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully
destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been completely
eliminated. For the good of the entire universe through eternity he
must be allowed to more fully develop his principles. In this way
Satan’s charges against the divine government might be seen in their
true light and the justice of God and the unchangeable nature of His
law might be forever placed beyond question.
Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through
all coming ages—a testimony forever to the nature of sin and its
terrible results. The history of this experiment of rebellion was to be
an eternal safeguard to all holy beings to prevent them from being
deceived regarding the nature of transgression.
“His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth
and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (
Deuteronomy
32:4
).
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