War In Your Heart # 46

Two Thrones At War (continued)

Perfect in thy ways." This can only mean that lucifer was the model of obedience to God and dependence upon Him, for obedience to the will of God, as we have seen, is the absolutely primary principle of life in God's kingdom. And dependence upon God is the unquestioned corollary of obedience.

Thus we see that in God's workmanship lucifer was His masterpiece in the heavenly realm, excelling all other creatures in wisdom, in beauty, in gory and in loyalty to God. In pristine glory he was the sum of perfection. Yet two things must be observed. First, this excellence of wisdom, of beauty, of glory, was not of his own creating or attaining. He was not self-made: he was still only a creature. All he possessed was the outright gift of God, the gracious, beneficent bestowal of the Creator. As his wisdom, beauty and glory was from God, so it was for God. This gave no standing room even for self to act.

Secondly, lucifer's great possessions - wisdom, beauty, and glory were only those of a created being. While on the plane of the created they were unexcelled and unsurpassable, yet they were still separated by an unbridgedable gulf from the perfection of the wisdom, beauty and glory of the uncreated God. Thus it was an impossibility for any created being, however great or glorious, to ever be on an equality with God, the Creator. The wisdom, beauty and glory of the Creator is inherent, while that of the creature is imparted.

lucifer was of the very highest rank. Jude 9 undoubtedly places him in the rank of the archangels of the greatest dignity and majesty. Even Michael the archangel, when contending with him, dare not himself bring against him a railing accusation, but called upon the Lord to do so. God had honored him with the position of highest eminence at His disposal. No other of God's creatures had such a title as he.

Ezekiel 28:14, 16: Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set there so ... O covering cherub.

"The Anointed cherub." This was his appointed service, the most sacred of all, that of protector of the very throne of God. "I have set thee so." Had God given lucifer the place nearest to Himself and to His Throne of holiness and glory, thus sharing with this created one the authority and power of the Creator, up to the highest possible limit? Could it be that God the Sovereign had said to lucifer the subject what Pharaoh ruler of Egypt and to Joseph: "Only in the throne will I be greater than thou" (Genesis 41:40)?

Ezekiel 28:14: Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

lucifer's abode was in heaven, the home of God; the place of His immediate, manifest Presence; the seat of God's government. In heaven the throne of God and God upon the throne held the place of absolute preeminence.

Revelation 4:2: Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

In such an abode lucifer dwelled. In such a  place he walked up and down with perfect liberty in the midst of the splendor of such holiness and glory.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 47)