MORNING STAR

In Luke, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (10:18). The term ‘Lucifer’ is a Latin term that means ‘Light Bringer’ or ‘Morningstar.’ Sometimes the term ‘Shining One, son of the Dawn’ is used. It is believed, from what I have read, Lucifer was a high-ranking angel. He fell due to pride.

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 carefully lists the reasons for the prideful failure. The Ezekiel verses tell of Satan being in ‘Eden, the garden of God,’ (v.13) and ‘on the holy mountain of God,’ (v.14) and ‘Your heart became proud because of your beauty; for the sake of your splendor, you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground.” (v.17) And then the Revelation says, “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” (17:7-9)

It is interesting to me that even in heaven there was choice to have free will to leave the presence of God, to rebel against the Lord… to turn away as Lucifer did.
Frederick Buechner (1926-2022) author, wrote:
“To take the Devil seriously is also to take seriously our total and spine-tingling freedom. Lucifer was an angel who even in paradise itself was free to get the hell out.”
“Get out of here, Satan. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” Jesus