The Rebelion of Lucifer

“Leaving his place in the immediate Presence of the father Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under any appearance of reverence for God.” PP 37.

“Many of the angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer’s deception? Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light–misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings–then these expressions were repeated by him when they would serve his purposes as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the Government of God… While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and preserve harmony and peace.” PP 38.

“Lucifer himself had not at first been acquainted with the real nature of his feelings: for a time he had feared to express the workings and imagings of his mind yet he did not dismiss them. He did not see whither he was drifting.” PP 39.

He Was Convinced But Not Converted

“Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong.” PP 39

“Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader? Still the loyal angels urged him and his sympathizers to submit to God; and they set before them the inevitable should they refuse.” PP 40

“The only course remaining for him and his followers was to assert their liberty and gain by force the right which had not been willingly accorded them.”

“So far as Satan himself was concerned; it was true that he had now gone too far to return.” PP 41

But not so with those who had been blinded by his deception. To them the counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope: and had they heeded the warning they might have broken away from the snare of Satan.

“He had artfully presented his side of the questions, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his object. His power to deceive was very great. By disguising it in a cloak of falsehood, he has gained advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his works. Until fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was: his disaffection would not have been seen to be rebellion? The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side he accused of indifference to the interest of the heavenly beings? Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his purposed changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked.” PP 41, 42.

To Be A Lesson To All Coming Ages

“Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages, a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results.” PP 42

The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron, Numbers 16:1-50 (1-3) (12) (20-24) (26) PP, pg. 395,397,403,404

“Korah, the leading spirit in this movement was a Levite of the family of Kohath, and a cousin to Moses; he was a man of ability and influence. Though appointed to the service of the tabernacle, he had become dissatisfied with his position and aspired to the dignity of the Priesthood. The bestowal of Aaron and his house of the priestly office, which had formerly devolved upon the first born of every family, had given rise to jealousy and dissatisfaction, and for some time Korah had been secretly opposing the authority of Moses and Aaron, though he had not ventured upon an open act of rebellion. He finally conceived the bold design of overthrowing both the civil and religious authority. He did not fail to find sympathizers.” PP 395

“Jealousy had given rise to envy and envy to rebellion. They had discussed the question of the right of Moses to so great authority and honor, until they had come to regard him as occupying a very enviable position, which any of them could fill as well as he. And they deceived themselves and one another into thinking that Moses and Aaron had themselves assumed the positions they held. The discontented one said that these leaders had exalted themselves above the congregation of the Lord in taking upon them the Priesthood and the government, but their house was not entitled to distinction above others in Israel; they are not more holy than the people and it should be enough for them on a level with their brethren who were equally favored with God’s special presence and protection.” PP 397

“In this work of disaffection there was great union among discordant elements of the congregation than had ever before existed. Korah’s success with the people increased his confidence and confirmed him in his belief that the usurpation of authority by Moses, if unchecked, would be fatal to the liberties of Israel; he also claimed that God opened a matter to him, and had authorized him to make a change in the government before it is too late. But many were not ready to accept Korah’s accusation against Moses.

“For a time this work was carried on secretly. As soon as the movement gained sufficient strength to warrant an open rupture, Korah appeared at the head of the function and publicly accused Moses and Aaron of usurping of authority which Korah and his associates were equally entitled to share” “Ye take too much upon you,? said the conspirators, ?seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?”PP 398

“Do not the same evils still exist that lay at the foundation of Korah’s ruin? Pride and ambition are wide spread and when this is cherished, they open the door to envy and a striving for supremacy; the soul is alienated from God, and unconsciously drawn into the ranks of Satan. Like Korah and his companions. Many, even the professed followers of Christ, are thinking, planning and working so eagerly for self exaltation that in order to gain the sympathy and support of the people, they are ready to pervert the truth, falsifying and misrepresenting the Lord’s servant, and even charging them with the base and selfish motives that inspire their own heart.

“By persistently reiterating falsehood and that against all evidence, they at last come to believe that they are engaged in a good work, verily doing God service.” PP 403, 404

Rebellion has certain characteristics, which can always be seen clearly.
1. The basic motive is Pride
2. Rebels always seek sympathy
3. They enlist followers to make their cause appear respectable
4. Rebellion causes separation
5. Rebellion is incurable
6. Rebellion leads to distraction

“Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10: 11

Parallels From Ancient Israel To Spiritual Israel

Moses and Aaron the leaders in the Wilderness. Exodus 4:12-17

Moses and Aaron were accused by Korah, Dathan and Abiram in their administration. “Ye take too much upon you? wherefore then lift up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord.”

Korah, Dathan and Abiram organized a new camp with 250 Princes against the camp of Moses and Aaron. Numbers 16:1-3

After their death, punishment from God of Korah, Dathan and Abiram with the 250 Princes and sympathizers, yet the camp of Korah Datham and Abiram existed and his followers were still defending him. “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying, “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” Numbers 16:41

And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliabu, which said, we will not come up. Numbers 16:12

Hildon Mbogela, Belize