Chapter 79—“It is Finished”
Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work
which He came to do, and with His parting breath He exclaimed, “It is
finished.”
John 19:30
. The battle had been won. His right hand and
His holy arm had gotten Him the victory. As a Conqueror He planted
His banner on the eternal heights. Was there not joy among the angels?
All heaven triumphed in the Saviour’s victory. Satan was defeated,
and knew that his kingdom was lost.
To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, “It is finished,” had a
deep significance. It was for them as well as for us that the great work
of redemption had been accomplished. They with us share the fruits
of Christ’s victory.
Not until the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly
revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds. The archapostate
had so clothed himself with deception that even holy beings had not
understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his
rebellion.
It was a being of wonderful power and glory that had set himself
against God. Of Lucifer the Lord says, “Thou sealest up the sum, full
of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.”
Ezekiel 28:12
. Lucifer had been
the covering cherub. He had stood in the light of God’s presence. He
had been the highest of all created beings, and had been foremost in
revealing God’s purposes to the universe. After he had sinned, his
power to deceive was the more deceptive, and the unveiling of his
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character was the more difficult, because of the exalted position he
had held with the Father.
God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as
one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was
not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under
Satan’s government. The Lord’s principles are not of this order. His
authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of
these principles is the means to be used. God’s government is moral,
and truth and love are to be the prevailing power.
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