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UNION GROVE CHURCH OF CHRIST, CLEVELAND TN.
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IS “LUCIFER” ANOTHER NAME FOR SATAN?
In the Bible, the one who goes about seeking souls which he might devour is called “the tempter” (Matthew 4:3). He is also identified as “the devil” (1 Peter 5:8), which means accuser or slanderer, and “Satan” (Luke 4:8), which means adversary. What about the word “Lucifer?” It literally means day star. When the Bible speaks about Lucifer, is that also a reference to the devil? Let us see. If a person wanted to learn what the Bible says about Lucifer, what passages would he need to read? Actually, Lucifer is mentioned in only one Bible passage. The single Bible reference to Lucifer is found in Isaiah 14:12, where it is written, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Notice that in this verse, someone is addressed as “thou” and “Lucifer.” That makes us ask the question, in this instance to whom was someone speaking? To answer that, of course, requires that we look at the context. If we step out of chapter fourteen for a moment and look back at the previous chapter, what do we find? Isaiah 13:1 begins with the words, “The burden of Babylon.” In the writings of the prophets, we often read statements that begin with the three words “the burden of.” To say “the burden of Babylon” means a message from Jehovah against Babylon, or the coming doom of Babylon. So, chapter 13 is God’s message about the destruction of Babylon. It is described as “the day of the Lord” that was at hand (13:6). That simply meant that God was going to bring judgment on Babylon due to its sins. As chapter thirteen comes to an end, Isaiah’s strongly worded prediction is that “Babylon . . . shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited . . ." (13:19,20). Now, what is the theme of the opening segment of Isaiah 14? It is God’s personal promise to Israel that He will have mercy on His people, give them rest, and restore them to their land (14:1-3). Then, in Isaiah 14:4 we have what is probably the key piece of information in determining who Lucifer is. Just what is written in Isaiah 14:4? “That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased!” Here is a message against someone. Is it against modern-day China? No. Is it against those that crucified Jesus? No. Is it against Satan? No. Read it again: it is against “the king of Babylon.” We will not quote the entire passage here, but if you take the time to read it, you will see that from verse 4 to verse 11, the references are to and about the king of Babylon, not Satan. Thus, when you get to Isaiah 14:12 and read, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,” it is talking about the fall of the king of Babylon. The context seals the deal – there are no other explanations that fit. Did I mention that when you read on down to Isaiah 14:22, that God again specifically tells what He will do with Babylon? Not Satan, but Babylon. So, who is Lucifer? It is a reference to the king of Babylon. The context of Isaiah 14 proves it. But how could it be true that the king of Babylon fell from heaven (14:12)? That is figurative language that simply emphasizes how great the fall of the arrogant kingdom would be. Pride-filled Babylon dominated the Middle East, so its fall must have come as a shock to many. Not to Jehovah. He saw it coming, foretold it, then made it happen. The king of Babylon, a.k.a. Lucifer, met his match. “The Almighty” (13:6) brought down the one who only thought his power was matchless! What lessons can we learn from this brief study? First, it is absolutely essential to consider the context in which a particular Bible statement is made. The context of Isaiah 14:12, the only verse in the entire Bible that mentions Lucifer, shows Lucifer to be the king of Babylon. Remember: context, context, context. Second, if the Bible does not refer to Satan as Lucifer, but I have been saying that Lucifer is Satan, then I need to cease using such language. We do better when we learn better, right? Third, when God says that someone or some place is “going down,” then you can rest assured that that is exactly what is going to happen. Fourth, Babylon and its king thought so highly of themselves that they thought they were invincible. Doesn’t the Bible tell us that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall? It sure does (Proverbs 16:18). -- Roger D. Campbell |
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