Lucifer

Who Is Lucifer?

Lucifer was an angel of God who turned against his creator and was exiled from the heavens. He is now more commonly known as Satan and rules over the souls banished to hell for all of eternity.

Origins

Lucifer is first referred to in the Old Testament where his name was translated from the Hebrew word “helel”, which means brightness. He was created by God when he made all the other angels in the heavens. This leads many to ask why God would create such an angel, only to have him turn on him and become the face of evil for the rest of eternity. But Lucifer was created before the concepts of “good” and “bad” existed. He was created before man and before sin was cast out into the world.

Legends and Stories

The short version of Lucifer’s story is common knowledge to Christians around the world. But the detailed version gives us an inside look to the reasons the angel was cast out of heaven.

Lucifer’s Fall from Grace

Before his fall from heaven, Lucifer was a high and exalted angel. He was described as mild and happy. It is said that his forehead was high and broad, a sign of his intelligence. His form was perfect and his presence was noble and majestic. A light surrounded him and made him brighter and more beautiful than all the other angels.

But Lucifer was jealous of Jesus Christ, who was one with God before Lucifer was created. Lucifer knew that no matter how intelligent or respected he was, God would always choose Jesus Christ over him. As much as he tried, Lucifer could not accept this.

Lucifer did not make his feelings known though. When all the other angels bowed to Christ, Lucifer followed, even though his heart was not pure. God held a meeting with Jesus to discuss his plans for creation. Lucifer was not allowed to attend the meeting. He wasn’t allowed to know God’s plans for the future. This troubled Lucifer, as he thought he was a favorite in heaven. He wanted to be just as important as God himself but couldn’t see how he could reach such a level of power.

He left the immediate presence of God. His heart was filled with envy and anger. He gathered the other angels in secret and introduced the idea of them worshipping him instead of Jesus. He told the other angels that he would no longer worship Jesus and that he would take the place of the Son of God.

The other angels did not reject the idea right away. They were discontented because they didn’t understand God’s intentions. Some of the angels decided to side with Lucifer and rebel against God and Jesus. The remaining angels were loyal and believed that Jesus Christ was the one they should be worshipping. The loyal angels tried to reach Lucifer and convince him of this. They wept and were anxious of what the future might hold.

Lucifer did not change his mind. He turned from any angel who decided to remain loyal to Jesus. The angels that sided with Lucifer were promised a new and improved government where they would all have complete freedom. The loyal angels again tried to warn Lucifer about the consequences of his actions but he was more certain than ever that he was doing the right thing for himself, the angels that chose to follow him and the heavens.

There was no crime higher than what Lucifer was committing. He was rebelling against the government of God. God summoned every angel in heaven, including Lucifer, and had them make their case. Lucifer told God that he felt he should be considered just as important, if not more, than Jesus Christ. God threatened Lucifer, telling him that he would be found unworthy of heaven if he continued these thoughts. Lucifer then told God that nearly half of the angels in Heaven agreed with him and challenged God, saying that he wouldn’t be willing to dismiss nearly half of his angels.

God declared that such rebellion was unforgivable and that Lucifer and his following angels would no longer remain in heaven. There was war in heaven but God, his Son and their loyal angels won the battle. Lucifer and his army were banished from heaven forever and all was peaceful in heaven once again. The remaining angels mourned the loss of their brothers and sisters but knew that they needed to be punished for their rebellion.

Family

Lucifer was created by God and therefore doesn’t have parents. There is nothing in scripture that says he ever had relationships and there is nothing that says he has children. However, many believers of the Christian faith will say that if you are not a believer in God (making you a child of God) you are assumed to be a child of Lucifer.

Appearance

The comical appearance of Lucifer with a pitchfork and horns isn’t accurate based on biblical descriptions. Before his fall from grace, Lucifer was described as the greatest of all God’s creations. He was described as a bright morning star and was the most powerful being created. He was more powerful than humans and all the other angels. He has taken on many difference appearances, including a snake in the story of Adam and Eve.

The Bible describes Lucifer as a cherub angel. These types of angels can be enormous in size and have tremendous power and strength. It is also said that they have four wings and four faces.

Symbology

While there are many emotions and actions that can be associated with Lucifer, he does have a single symbol that is recognized around the world. It is called the Sigil of Lucifer and consists of a “V” below an upside-down triangle with lines going from top to bottom. The symbol dates all the way back to the 1400s and can be traced back to Italy.