The Plan of Redemption

Lesson # 3 – The Plan of Redemption and the Apostasy of Satan

1. What did the Godhead foresee will take place among his intelligent creatures that prompted the Godhead to devise the plan of redemption?

Desire of Ages, p. 22
“From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of man through the deceptive powers of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and make provision to meet the terrible emergency.”

Note: The plan of redemption was formulated not only before the creation of the earth, but even before the creation of the angels in heaven as indicated by the statement that God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan and the fall of man and make provision to meet the terrible emergency. The provision that God made to meet the terrible emergency – the apostasy of Satan and the fall of man – was the plan of redemption.

2. Did the Godhead also plan the apostasy of Satan?

6 BC 1082.2
“God had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purpose to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about a certain condition of things, but he knew that such a condition would exist.”

3. What condition existed in the universe of God since the creation of the inhabitants of heaven?

Great Controversy, p. 493.1
“Before the entrance of evil there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator’s will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,–one in nature, in character, and in purpose,–the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings. “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16); and to Christ, equally with the Father, all heaven gave allegiance.”

4. Upon what principles was the government of God founded and what was the secret of the joy of the angels in heaven?

Psalms 97:1, 2
1. The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad [thereof].
2. Clouds and darkness [are] round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.”

Great Controversy, p. 493.2
“The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love–homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.”

5. How long did peace and joy exist in heaven undisturbed?

Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 316.3
“Peace and joy, in perfect submission to the will of Heaven, existed throughout the angelic host. Love to God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Such was the condition that existed for ages before the entrance of sin.”

6. What principle of life was practiced by all?

Desire of Ages, p. 21.2
“Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory (character) of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus, through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.”

The nature of Lucifer’s rebellion

3. Did the apostasy of Satan that God and Christ foresee actually took place?

Isaiah 14:12 (KJV) “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!”
(NIV) “How you have fallen from heaven Morning Star, son of the dawn!”

Note: Lucifer, Satan’s original name, means light bearer or bringer of light. To fall in the spiritual sense means to apostatize. Thus, when the Bible said of Lucifer that he was “fallen from heaven,” it simply means that he has apostatized.

4. What was Satan’s original position in heaven?

Ezekiel 28: 14-16
14. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

ST April 28, 1890
“Lucifer was the covering cherub, the most exalted of the heavenly created beings; he stood nearest the throne of God, and was most closely connected and identified with the administration of God’s government, most richly endowed with the glory of His majesty and power.”

Great Controversy, p. 493.3
“Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and who stood highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled.”

Story of Redemption, p. 13
“Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels.”

5. What did Satan do that made his expulsion from heaven necessary?

Revelation 12:7-9
7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

6. What event in heaven triggered Lucifer to entertain envy, jealousy and hatred in his heart against Jesus that lead to his apostasy and rebellion against heaven’s authority?

Genesis 1:26 “And God said let us make man in our own image…”

Early Writings, p. 145
“Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ… But when God said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image,” Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God.” EW 145.1

7. What made Lucifer think that he is worthy to receive the highest honors next to God and that he should be consulted concerning the formation of man?

Ezekiel 28:12-16 “A lamentation upon the king of Tyrus…Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth… Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee… thou hast sinned: therefore I will…destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.”

ST, January 9, 1879 par. 2.
“Especially was he (Christ) to work in union with himself (Father) in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon it… Satan was jealous and envious of Jesus Christ… his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into counsel with the Father in regard to his plans, while Satan was unacquainted with them… Satan thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels… He aspired to the height of God himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was honored by the angels… He had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light enshrouding the eternal God, had shone especially upon him. Satan thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?”

8. What sin did Lucifer first cherished in his heart because of his superior endowment of beauty, brightness and wisdom?

Ezekiel 28:17 “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.”

Isaiah 14:13, 14 “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne (self-exaltation) above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.”

The Great Controversy, p. 493
“Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and who stood highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. “Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. . . .Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:12-15.”

The Great Controversy, p. 494
“Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for self-exaltation. “Thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God.” “Thou hast said, . . . I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation….I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Verse 6; Isaiah 14:13, 14. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of His creatures, it was Lucifer’s endeavor to win their service and homage to himself. And coveting the honor which the infinite Father had bestowed upon His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power which it was the prerogative of Christ alone to wield.”

Note: The apostasy of Lucifer began when he first indulged a desire for self-exaltation and he continue in that downward path that ended in an open rebellion. Today he seeks to ruin men and women by imbuing then with his spirit of self-exaltation. So whenever a desire for self-exaltation arise in our mind, we should immediately repel the thought with the words of Christ that “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matt. 23:12

9. By hating Christ in his heart, what sin did Lucifer commit?

1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer…”

John 8:44 “The devil… He was a murderer from the beginning…”

10. What other sin that is now common among men did Lucifer originate?

John 8:44 “When [satan] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

11. How did Lucifer use falsehood to cover his sin of pride, jealousy, envy and hatred and justify his rebellion against the authority of Christ?

RH, October 22, 1895 par. 1
“[Satan] was next to Christ in exaltation and character. It was with Satan that self-exaltation had its origin. He became jealous of Christ, and falsely accused him, and then laid blame upon the Father. He was envious of the position that was held by Christ and the Father, and…through his crooked representations of Christ and the Father, the evil one deceived a great company of angels, drew them into sympathy with himself, and associated them with himself in rebellion. Satan and his sympathizers became the avowed antagonists of God, established their own infernal empire, and set up a standard of rebellion against the God of heaven. All the principalities and powers of evil rallied to the work of overthrowing the government of God.”

Desire of Ages, p. 308.4
“All who break God’s commandments are sustaining Satan’s claim that the law is unjust, and cannot be obeyed. Thus they second the deceptions of the great adversary, and cast dishonor upon God. They are the children of the wicked one, who was the first rebel against God’s law.”

The Great Controversy, p. 485
“Leaving his place in the immediate presence of God, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. Working with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealing his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God, he endeavored to excite dissatisfaction concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that they imposed an unnecessary restraint. Since their natures were holy, he urged that the angels should obey the dictates of their own will. He sought to create sympathy for himself by representing that God had dealt unjustly with him in bestowing supreme honor upon Christ. He claimed that in aspiring to greater power and honor he was not aiming at self-exaltation, but was seeking to secure liberty for all the inhabitants of heaven, that by this means they might attain to a higher state of existence.”

God’s love and forgiving spirit exercised towards Satan

12. Although Satan committed sins worthy of death, what did God offer to Him again and again?

Great Controversy, p. 495
“God in His great mercy bore long with Lucifer. He was not immediately degraded from his exalted station when he first indulged the spirit of discontent, nor even when he began to present his false claims before the loyal angels. Long was he retained in heaven. Again and again he was offered pardon on condition of repentance and submission. Such efforts as only infinite love and wisdom could devise were made to convince him of his error.”

13. What important divine character was revealed in God’s dealing with the rebellion of Satan? What are the characteristics of God’s love?

1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Exodus 34:6 “And the LORD passed by before [Moses], and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Note: That “God is love” and love is “longsuffering, and is kind, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” is clearly revealed in God’s dealing with the rebellion of Satan. God did not immediately condemn and banish Lucifer from heaven as soon as he rebelled against Him. The SOP tells us that “God in his great mercy bore long with lucifer.” “Long was he [Lucifer] retained in heaven” even after his rebellion was known. This is clear proof that God’s love is really longsuffering.

What was God’s purpose for retaining Satan in heaven for a long time after his rebellion? Obviously because God wanted to show to Satan that He still loves him even after he committed sin and He is even willing to save him from eternal death. The SOP tells us that

“Again and again he was offered pardon on condition of repentance and submission. Such efforts as only infinite love and wisdom could devise were made to convince him of his error.” Again and again means that God made the offer of pardon to Satan, not only one time or three times, but many times. This clearly proves that God’s love is really kind, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity.” GC 495

God gave Satan enough time to think and decide whether he would accept his offer of pardon and salvation or not. God wants to have more time to convince Lucifer of his error and through his goodness leads him to repent and be reconciled back to himself. He promised Satan that should he chose to repent, he will be pardoned of all his sins. This means that the plan of redemption was indeed made prepared for any of the high intelligences of heaven and that God was ready to implement the plan of redemption to save Lucifer and all who join in his rebellion.

Reflecting the character of God

14. What kind of divine character does God wants us to reveal to the world in these last days?

Ephesians 3:9-11 “And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: “

Acts of the Apostles, p. 9
“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places,” the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.”

Note: It is God’s design that the members of the church should reveal in their own life the same quality of love that God has towards his creatures, not only towards the righteous but specially to the unrighteous and rebellious.

15. How are we to manifest the same quality of love in a practical manner in the church?

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Galatians 6:1, 2 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Note: Those who rebel against God and his church and those who apostatized from the truth must be visited. Pardon must be offered to them, not only once or twice, but again and again as Christ did to Lucifer. Patiently deal with them and convinced them of their error and plead with them to repent and come back to the church.

16. How are we to reveal the same quality of love in a practical manner in the world?

James 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Matthew 5:38 -44
38 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Note: If we are to reveal God’s love to the world we must not participate in war, we cannot join the army because the main business of the army is to kill the enemies of the state. Instead we should be active in welfare ministry.

17. Besides offering Satan pardon, what else did God promised to do for him in connection with his former position as “covering cherub”?

Great Controversy, p. 495
“But as his dissatisfaction was proved to be without cause, Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong, that the divine claims were just, and that he ought to acknowledge them as such before all heaven. Had he done this, he might have saved himself and many angels. He had not at this time fully cast off his allegiance to God. Though he had forsaken his position as covering cherub, yet if he had been willing to return to God, acknowledging the Creator’s wisdom, and satisfied to fill the place appointed him in God’s great plan, he would have been reinstated in his office.”

Note: God offered to Satan not only pardon but that he will be re-instated to his former position that he had lost through his rebellion. This gives us a knowledge of the character of God and his attitude towards those who sin as well as to those whom he has forgiven. When God forgives a person, he is willing to restore to him all his rights and privileges and treats him as though he has never sinned. The fact that God was willing to restore Satan to his former position means that he was willing to restore his trust and confidence to him. And if we are to reflect the character of God, we must have the same attitude towards those whom we forgive for sinning against us.

18. Had Satan repented and return to his allegiance to Christ how only could God fulfill His promise to pardon Satan and the other fallen angels?

Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

RH, November 24, 1896 par. 5
“When…blood was shed, and offerings were made to God, the people were not only thanking him for his present mercies, but they were thanking him for the promise of a Saviour, and by this expressing the truth that without the shedding of the blood of the Son of God, there could be no forgiveness of sins.”

Note: The only way that Satan could have been pardoned is for Jesus to die, to shed his blood, for the remission of his sins, for without shedding of blood, there is no remission (Heb. 9:22). Thus when God offered pardon to Satan, it means that Jesus is willing to die for the sin of Satan that he may live. If we are to reveal God’s love to the world we must be willing to do whatever it take to save our fellowmen, even those who have sinned against us.

19. How may we know that Jesus could certainly die for Satan if he accepted the offer of pardon?

RH, May 3, 1892 par. 8 “For one soul Jesus would have passed through the agony of Calvary that that one might be saved in his kingdom.”

Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 72
“Even though but few accept the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, their work will not be in vain; for one soul is precious, very precious, in the sight of God. Christ would have died for one soul in order that that one might live through the eternal ages.”

Satan closed his own probation by his irrevocable decision to fight to overthrow God’s government

20. Despite God’s offer of pardon and his reinstatement to his former position, what prevented Satan from repenting of his wrong?

Great Controversy, p. 495
“But pride forbade him to submit. He persistently defended his own course, maintained that he had no need of repentance, and fully committed himself, in the great controversy, against his Maker. All the powers of his master mind were now bent to the work of deception, to secure the sympathy of the angels that had been under his command. Even the fact that Christ had warned and counseled him was perverted to serve his traitorous designs.”

Patriarch and Prophets, p. 39
“The time had come for a final decision; he must fully yield to the divine sovereignty or place himself in open rebellion. He nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him. It was too great a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to confess that he had been in error, that his imaginings were false, and to yield to the authority which he had been working to prove unjust.”

21. How did the Bible warn us against the evil of pride? How may we avoid following Satan’s example of letting his pride hinder him from submitting to God?

Proverbs 16:18, 19 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Note: It was pride that prevented Satan from accepting God’s offer of pardon. His refusal to repent means that he refused to accept Jesus as his Saviour from sin. He thought it too humiliating to confess that he has been in error and to yield to the authority which he had been working to prove unjust. This should be a lesson for us not to let our pride hinder us from acknowledging our error and cause our ruin.

22. What false hope and wrong perception of Satan about God contributed to his refusal to repent and submit to God’s authority?

(a) He misinterpreted the mercy and longsuffering of God towards him.

Patriarch and Prophets, p. 39.2
“A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His mercy was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the long-suffering of God as an evidence of his own superiority, an indication that the King of the universe would yet accede to his terms. If the angels would stand firmly with him, he declared, they could yet gain all that they desired. He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, “the light bearer,” the sharer of God’s glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, “the adversary” of God and holy beings and the destroyer of those whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardianship.”

(b) He doubted that God could really forgive sin

Patriarch and Prophets, p. 40
“Many (of the angels that sympathized with Satan) were disposed to…repent of their disaffection, and seek to be again received into favor with the Father and His Son. But Lucifer had another deception ready. The mighty revolter now declared that the angels who had united with him had gone too far to return; that he was acquainted with the divine law, and knew that God would not forgive. He declared that all who should submit to the authority of Heaven would be stripped of their honor, degraded from their position. For himself, he was determined never again to acknowledge the authority of Christ. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.”

Desire of Ages, p. 761
“In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice.”

(d) He misjudged Christ’s motive

The Great Controversy, p. 496
“All the powers of [Satan’s) master mind were now bent to the work of deception, to secure the sympathy of the angels that had been under his command. Even the fact that Christ had warned and counseled him was perverted to serve his traitorous designs. To those whose loving trust bound them most closely to him, Satan had represented that he was wrongly judged, that his position was not respected, and that his liberty was to be abridged. From misrepresentation of the words of Christ he passed to prevarication and direct falsehood, accusing the Son of God of a design to humiliate him before the inhabitants of heaven. He sought also to make a false issue between himself and the loyal angels. All whom he could not subvert and bring fully to his side he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing he charged upon those who remained true to God. And to sustain his charge of God’s injustice toward him, he resorted to misrepresentation of the words and acts of the Creator. It was his policy to perplex the angels with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. His high position, in such close connection with the divine administration, gave greater force to his representations, and many were induced to unite with him in rebellion against Heaven’s authority.”

23. What was Lucifer’s final act in his desire to exalt himself and how many of the stars/angels of God join him in this endeavour to overthrow God’s government?

Revelation 12: 7 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

Revelation 12:3, 4 “And…behold a great red dragon…And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…”

24. What punishment did God mete out to the rebellious Lucifer and his angels who associated with him?

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan…he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Jude 6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

2 Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”

Summary and Conclusion

Let us briefly summarize what we have learned in this lesson. We have learnded that…
a. The Godhead foresaw the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of man and prepared the plan of salvation meet this terrible emergency. DA 22
b. Lucifer did actually apostatize and rebelled against the authority of heaven. Isaiah 14:12-17; Revelation 12:7-9
c. Lucifer’s rebellion was triggered when God the Father consulted Christ regarding the creation of the earth and man and he was excluded. EW 145
d. God’s love for Lucifer is so strong that he gave bore long with him trying to convince him of his errors and offered to him pardon on condition of repentance and submission to divine authority. GC 495 This tells us that Christ was willing to die for Satan so that he may be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22); teaching us the important truth that one soul is very precious in God’s sight that Christ is willing to die even for just one soul in order that he might live in eternal ages (8T 72).
e. Moreover, God promised to reinstate Satan to his former position as covering cherub if he truly repents. GC 495
f. God designs that through his church will eventually be manifest in full and final display this longsuffering and self-sacrificing love of God (AA 9) in a practical manner first in the church (John 13:34-35; Gal. 6:1,2) and then in the world (Mat. 5:38-44).
g. Satan was convinced of his error and he nearly reached the decision to repent but pride forbade him, thinking that it is too great a sacrifice for him to admit and confess his error and submit to the authority of God (PP 39) and he made his irrevocable decision to fight to overthrow God’s government (Rev. 12:7-9).
h. We concluded with important truth that although God is willing to save even just one soul, yet he cannot force to save one soul who does not respond to his grace offered and his love bestowed (ST, March 17, 1898 par. 1)