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Fall of Lucifer
13
cifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the
angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from
him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height
of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was
honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He
had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious
light enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him.
He thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable
alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should
Christ thus be honored before himself?
He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied and
filled with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes,
he assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which
was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had
given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth
all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had
not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth
[15]
must yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called
them together to assure them that he no longer would submit to this
invasion of his rights and theirs; that never would he again bow down
to Christ; that he would take the honor upon himself which should
have been conferred upon him, and would be the commander of all
who would submit to follow him and obey his voice.
There was contention among the angels. Lucifer and his sym-
pathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They
were discontented and unhappy because they could not look into
His unsearchable wisdom and ascertain His purposes in exalting His
Son, and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command.
They rebelled against the authority of the Son.
Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty,
rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of
God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning
sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than
before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred
upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of
God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that
He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving
authority had not heretofore been questioned; and that He had given