A Critical Enquiry Into The Claim That The Personage Referred To As “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14. 12) Was, and Is,
The Devil.
The name “Lucifer” is found only once in the Scriptures—in the verse above quoted—and the popular belief held by many church leaders is that this is a reference only applicable to the Devil. So, for many years people have been taught that this mysterious personage was once in heaven, but was cast out because of rebellion against God. Why such a belief should be held is more mysterious still, as will be seen from the following. Here is the verse in question:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations” (Isaiah 14. 12).
“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Isaiah 14. 13).
It will first be noted that if the popular view is held, that Lucifer is the Devil and was cast out of heaven, then these two verses contradict one another, for why would Lucifer want to “ascend into heaven”, if he had been there for many centuries previous? How could he “exalt his throne above the stars of God”, seeing that a rebel in heaven is an impossibility? God is supreme and always has been. Again, how could “Lucifer” “weaken the nations” and be “cut down to the ground”? Would he not have very much less power over anyone after being “cut down to the ground”? And, last, why would he wish to sit upon “the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north”?
Let the reader study what is meant by the “sides of the north”. The answer is to be found in Psalm 48. 2, where we read, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the City of the Great King”.
So “Lucifer” desired, for some reason, to have control of Jerusalem. Then read in verse 15, that he was “brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit”. Thus he would be buried, and, if so, he should not still be troubling the nations. Verse 16 goes on to say, “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee saying, ‘is this the man that made the earth to tremble’?” So he was a man! Verses 18 to 20 tell of his end, and compare it with the other kings of the nations who were laid in the grave in glory.
Then—still dealing with this so-called Devil, imagined to be Lucifer—we find that verse 21 says, “Prepare slaughter for his children”. The next verse gives the truth of the whole matter. It is concerned with Babylon: “For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of Hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son and nephew, saith the Lord”. So Lucifer’s people, son and nephew, name and remnant, were to be cut off. Thus, if Lucifer’s children would be slain, he would also be involved, and his miserable end mentioned in verse 20, could certainly not be applied to any devil, supposed to have horns and hoof and to torture people eternally.
How anyone with ordinary commonsense could believe that this “Lucifer” of Isaiah 14. 12 could be a fallen angel with magical powers, but yet be “cut down”, “cast out of the grave like an abominable branch”, “thrust through with the sword”, and his children destroyed, passes comprehension.
Now let us get the logical explanation of “Lucifer”. Who was this person, and what had he done to bring such retribution on himself? Why not take the whole chapter, instead of taking out two verses and weaving around them the story of a mystical character of extraordinary powers. You will readily agree that anyone can take out of a newspaper or magazine article a few lines and build up an entirely different story—if no regard is paid to the rest of the printed article.
With this thought in mind, look at the commencement of Isaiah ch. 14: “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they (the strangers) shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord, for servants and handmaids, and they shall take them captives whose captive they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors.” Now note carefully the following: And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow . . . that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased.’ . . . Then the story continues and pictures the ultimate breaking of the power of Babylon and its king, and then, in cynical vein, pictures him in words of sarcastic symbolism: how he had fallen from his high estate as the first world-ruler, and how he had been brought low. Anyone reading Daniel’s wonderful interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2. 37) will see what a proud position this king had held, for God had given him the greatest of all empires up to that time. He had been used as a scourge against Israel, and retribution was to come. Further, this king was driven from his throne by seven years of madness: surely this was a terrific “come-down” for a great king who had caused all nations “to tremble”. His fear was upon all nations, and one after another they fell before him. No wonder the prophet said of him (Isa. 14. 16),
“Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners”.
You will note that these words do not fit the character of any supposed Devil power. Here was a Dictator, one who had conquered Israel with a great slaughter. He had taken them to Babylon. He had conquered Syria, Egypt, Moab, Ammon and Arabia and many other lands. His pride and arrogance knew no bounds, and one day, in the palace at Babylon, he made the boastful speech,
“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”.
Even whilst the last words were upon his lips, a voice from heaven passed judgment upon him, and he was driven from his throne (Daniel 4. 30). Do you not see in this impious speech the same outline as Isaiah speaks of in ch. 14. 12?
Now note again the words of Isaiah 14.1-4. God was to return to bless Israel and to bring them back to favour again, although they were about to go into captivity. Israel did return from Babylon, but the prophecy in its fullness has not been completely fulfilled. Then note the words,
“It shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou avast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon”.
The city of Babylon did cease (Isaiah 14. 4). Today its ruins have been excavated. It truly is desolate. But the very people whom Nebuchadnezzar oppressed are back in their land, virile and active—the miracle return of a nation. The parable is yet to be taken up against their German destroyers and their Russian invaders who, in concert with the Arab powers, are yet to bring fear and dread upon Israel, from which they will be suddenly relieved by God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. As we read, “The Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow” (Isaiah 14. 3).
Now let us sum up this chapter; and you will see that “Lucifer” has nothing to do with the creature of man’s imagination, the “horns and hoof, unseen legendary tormentor”:
- The scene is when Israel has rest from sorrow and fear.
- God brings this “rest”.
- They will take up a proverb.
- It will be against the king of Babylon who smote them.
- His capital city was called the “Golden City” (Babylon).
- He was a world-conqueror.
- He was brought down by God from his high position, likened to heaven.
- He was cast down to hell—the grave.
- The great ones in the grave are made to say, “Art thou become like unto us?”.
- Of Lucifer it was said, “Is this the man that made the earth tremble?”.
- His carcass was cast out and trodden under foot.
- God would cut off his progeny—son and nephew.
- His kingdom would utterly be destroyed.
Daniel The Prophet – (Part 3)