War in heaven. Really? Yes.
"...Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." (CSB) - Revelation 12:9
Dr. Mark Yarbrough and Jerry Jenkins craft a debut 'Story of Scripture' novel that will hopefully lead people to engage in deep Bible study about a far-reaching event that took place in the distant past and still impacts us today
(K-LOVE's Richard Hunt asks) This seems to be a topic that has not received a lot of explanation. The war that took place in God's very heaven, which led to Lucifer's demotion to Satan, along with the defection of about a third of the angels. With us now to unpack this are author Jerry Jenkins, well known for the landmark "Left Behind" books, and Dr. Mark Yarbrough, president of the Dallas Theological Seminary.
So, before human beings were even created, this incredible bigger than Star Wars event actually took place in the spirit realm. Dr. Yarbrough, what do we actually know about that super betrayal that took place in heaven?
"Well, we certainly don't know all of the details, but scripture seems to allude to the fact that this took place before creation. I mean, there's a passage in the book of Job that says the angelic realm rejoiced at creation. So, they were there, they observed all of this. And certainly by the time we get to Genesis chapter three, this conniving serpent, this crafty serpent is there that seems to know a backstory and is intent on deceiving the image bearers, Adam and Eve, that are there in the garden. So, that is one of the things that we do in this novel ("The Battle for Heaven and Earth"). We open up of what scripture does say, and then we certainly imagine what it does not within those boundaries to be able to tell a story of something that could have happened about this angelic war that happened before creation," explains Yarbrough.
(Richard) So how do you get into the mind of the various characters that you discuss such as Lucifer? How do you plant your thoughts into what his might've been?
Jerry shares, "Well, that's the real challenge of novelizing something like this. This was Dr. Yarbrough's idea. And Richard, I had the same questions that you do. 'How do you do this? How do you get into it? What do we know?' And so, it's been fascinating for me. It feels like I've been going to the Yarborough Seminary for several months here, but I want the reader to identify with the angels and at some points even Lucifer, because Lucifer suffered from pride... and I think we all do. That's our besetting sin at the heart of all sin, really. And so it's a matter of trying to put yourself in that place and imagine what the conversations would be like, what the feelings would be like. I think sometimes we view angels as our guardian angels or our dear departed relatives that are now watching over us, and we forget the fact that this rebellion, this sin, happened even before man was created.
So, that is the challenge."
(Richard) You and Mark have crafted the book, The Battle for Heaven and Earth. I got an advance copy. It is fascinating. It opens a lot of ideas and doors for me. So, what could Lucifer possibly offer to angels to rebel against God? How did that happen?
"Well, it's an interesting thing, isn't it? And your question is a real good one. I mean, how could he sin? And I would imagine that God must think the same thing about us, that with free will that was given to the angelic realm, that's what pride is. It's taking the glory from God and placing it upon oneself. There's two passages of scripture that seem to really open this door up, and it's in Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 28. And in that context, clearly talking about the King of Babylon and the King of Tyre, but it's giving a picture behind those human individuals that was Satan that was leading them and their rebellion. And it gives a picture of Satan's fall. And the language that is used in those passages is pretty powerful where he wanted the glory to be given to him. And in that free will, it was like, 'Why should God be worshiped? I am valuable. Am I not a leader in my own right?' And so when we imagine the story, I mean and you step into the throne room, that's where he begins to hear this worship that is given to God and he wants it for himself. And that seems to be the rootedness of pride when we begin to think that we too could be God. And that seems to be what's going on in the text."
This is a fascinating and complex matter of biblical and eternal history
And we invite you to listen to our full podcast interview with Dr. Mark Yarbrough and Jerry Jenkins, just below.
In it, you'll hear the response to this hard question: "Now, some may have difficulty understanding, I know I do to some degree, how almighty God who knows the entire future, would even create Lucifer knowing that he would go bad. So Jerry, Dr. Yarbrough, how do you explain that?"
