Bible Questions and Answers

Thank you for your question.

The name Lucifer is occurs just once in the Bible.

Isaiah 14:12 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!

In context Lucifer is a name given to the king of Babylon as is clear from verse 4.

4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

The king of Babylon was never in the literal heaven. It is a proverb (parable) using figurative language where ‘heaven’ represents dominion over Israel in Jerusalem.

Leviticus 26:19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

The king of Babylon aspired to rule Israel in the place of God. He was not already ‘in heaven’. His objective was to ‘ascend into heaven’.

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascendinto 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:

‘The stars of God’ is figurative of the King and princes (rulers) of Israel.

‘The mount of the congregation’ was Zion or Jerusalem where all the males in Israel were called to congregate 3 times in each year.

Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

‘The sides of the north’ is a description used of the situation of Jerusalem.

Psalms 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

In handling the word of God some careful discernment is necessary.

2Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

One of the distinctions that has to be made and clearly understood is when God is speaking ‘literally’ and when He is speaking ‘figuratively’.

If we get them the wrong way round we end up with teachings that make no sense.

In conclusion:

1.   Everything was (and is) completely perfect in heaven.

2.   Lucifer is a name God gives to the king of Babylon on earth.

3.   Lucifer did not rebel against God in heaven.

I hope this helps,

Glenn