08 August, 2019

36. The Fall of Lucifer, part 2

36. The Fall of Lucifer, part 2

till wickedness was found in you.
—Ezekiel 28:14-15

In the phrase, "guardian cherub" (or "cherub that covers" depending on the translation), the Hebrew word translated "guardian" or "covers" means "to block" and "stop the approach." In Nahum 2:5, the same words is translated "defense" while describing the city's walls. So if this is a description of Lucifer, it means his job was to defend God's throne.

Scholars differ on whether Ezekiel 28 (which starts out as a prophecy against the king of Tyre) shifts to a condemnation of Lucifer during his revolt. The use of words like "cherub" and one who walked in "Eden" and on the "mount of God" lend great credence to this view.

While some have speculated that Lucifer rebelled out of jealousy over humans having souls, or the promotion of other angels while he remained heaven's song leader, the Jews of the 2nd Temple period believed his motivation was a bit more grandiose.
He [the serpent] began speaking slander of his Creator, saying, 'Of this tree did He eat and then create the world....
Genesis Rabbah 19:4
If Satan believed his own lie, then he had convinced himself that the power to create resided in the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In other words, he either knows God's power is inherent to God and thus unattainable, or he believes God's power is outside of God and is thus something he too can attain.

Let's assume for a moment that the Genesis Rabbah reflects an accurate view, which do you think is more likely: Satan deliberately invented a lie or Satan genuinely believes his own self-deception?
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