Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 986 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Satan Falls Like Lightning – Wisdom Wednesday

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Today is Day 986 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events.

To establish a Biblical worldview, it is required that you also have a proper understanding of God’s word. Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors. In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.

Lightning can be beautiful to watch, and yet it is quite destructive and dangerous. In the New Testament, there is another entity that falls like lightning, which may seem beautiful but desires to destroy us.

Today’s essay will explore…

Satan Falls Like Lightning

In one of the more mysterious verses in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 10:18, “’Yes,’ he told them, ‘I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!'”

The question isn’t about the “what” of Jesus’ statement. It’s clear that Satan is under judgment. Rather, the confusion is over the “when” of the statement. It might sound like a reference to when Satan became Satan, before the Garden of Eden, abandoning his status among God s heavenly host, but that conclusion would be too hasty.

We basically have three options when it comes to figuring out the timing of Satan’s fall: before, during, or after Jesus own time. Many people have offered opinions. Perhaps the most common interpretation is that Jesus is seeing or remembering the original fall of Satan. This option makes little sense in context. Prior to the statement, Jesus had sent out the disciples to heal and preach that the kingdom of God had drawn near to them (Luke 10:1-9). They return amazed and excited by the fact that demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus. Luke 10:17 says, “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!’”  Jesus replied to their proclamation, “’Yes,’ he told them, ‘I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!'”

There is a connection between the kingdom, the defeat of demons, and Satan. But if Satan’s fall in Luke [10:18] speaks of an event in the remote past, why wasn’t the kingdom established then? Why was Satan still powerful when Jesus showed up on the scene? Even with the kingdom of Israel under David and the presence of God in the temple, the power and influence of Satan is evident on nearly every page of Old Testament history.

The view that Jesus was referring to Satan’s fall during his own ministry is better, but it is not without problem. We don’t read anywhere in the Bible of anyone casting out demons prior to Jesus ministry. That display of power, as well as the announcements of the kingdom and the ruling authority of God on earth, is unmistakable. This is consistent with what Luke writes in the next chapter.

This is where Luke identifies Jesus as the one who handles the ”strong man.” It is Jesus who binds Satan. With Jesus having bound the strong man (Satan), He and His disciples can plunder Satan’s realm. This seems to tie in with what Jesus says after His statement about Satan where He grants the disciples power over the forces of evil. Luke 10:19-20 says, “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

But these verses also produce difficulties. Why do we read later in the same gospel and other parts of the New Testament that the disciples weren’t immune from Satan’s power (Luke [22:31]-61; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Thessalonians [2:18])?

This brings us to the third option: Jesus statement refers to a time subsequent to His own. Since Satan was (and is) still alive and well, with respect to his ongoing opposition to the Church everywhere. It makes sense to see Satan’s fall, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning,” as a future event.

The wording used by Luke “I saw” was quite common in the Old Testament for introducing prophetic visions, especially in multiple passages in the book of Daniel.

My own view is a combination of the second and third view. It seems quite clear that the rule of God began at the ministry of Jesus, but it is a rule in progress that will reach a final culmination at a future time. As the Old Testament repeatedly reminds us, and as Jesus affirmed in Luke [10:18]. On that day the defeat of our cosmic enemy will be swift and final.

That will conclude our essay for this week. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue in the New Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “The Healing Serpent.” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer which will help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 985 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Podcast so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!