The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-24

Il beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven" But, in Mr.. Weller's view,
this theory, POLITICALLY striking as it
endless difficulties. He says it has no
Scriptural foundation. and should be
banished from the teachings of Chris
tianity. He writes:
I'VE may search in vain throughout
the whole of the Bible for any safe
foundation on which to rest the theory
that Satan was ever in heaven. He is
called an angel--and probably this has
AFFORDED the ground upon which Milton
built his theory-but we must distin-
guish between angels of light and
angels of darkness; between angels of
life and angels of death, There ex-
ist, 1t is true, a few passages which
at first sight appear to account for
this singular Misrepresentation; but
these need but slight examination in
order to show how incapable they are
of affording ground for such a propo-
sition. The first is Qs. xiv. 12). How
art thou fallen from heaven, o Lucifer.
Son of the Morning This has no ref
erence whatever to Satan, but applies
to the King of Babylon, whose powers
and dignity are represented as hav-
ing exalted him to heaven. and when
en- of as being thrust down to the
ground.
The next passage already alluded
to, 4 beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven is no more conclusive
than the former. The original Greek
runs: I beheld Satan fall as light
ming from heaven. 1t is true that
was to be his fall from power that
our Lord compared it to lightning from
heaven. This fall, Christ told His dis
ciples, was to be the effect of their
mission. The fall of Satan was to
be from the position of power and in
fiuence over men because a greater
power was about to make itself felt
In the world--the power OF God over
Satan. In the same chapter the same
figuratlve language is applied to Ca
pernaum And thou, Capernaurn.
which art exalted to heaven, shall be
thrust down to hell And we know
that the fall of Capernaum was from
power and influence to degradation and
ruin. This passage therefore refuses
to countenance the theory OF the ex-
pulsion OF Satan from the habitation
of the world of spirits and the imme-
diate presence of God. The passage,
however. which is most generally
quoted In support Of this theory is to
be found in the Revelation Of st. John
Revelations xii. ~, And there was
war in heaven: Michael and his an
gels fought against the dragon,
and the great dragon was cast out.
that old serpent called the Devil and
Satan.' But this quotation is. II pos
sible. less available than either OF the
others, not only because II is purely
figurative, but because IL refers neith-
er 10 the present nor 10 the past. but
20 the distant future. Come up hither
and will show thee things which
must be hereafter There was no
promise Of = representation OF anything
which took place before the existence
Of the first man upon the earth, but
a vision Of the hereafter In which
picture Satan Is overcome-the
great triumph OF truth over error. OF
virtue over vice. With regard 20 the
passage IN 81. Jude lverae 81 and that
IN ~. Peter q Peter II, a no msntion
Of heaven Is made. 20 that neither %
these can have any bearing upon the
subject. with the notion thefaf0re of
peace and harmony with which We a.
nociaff d life % come. We gladly han-
ish, ence and forever. the Mlltoufn
theory that fiu and fhe father ~ uin
hsd their ofiFin iu a world where eva
san net possibly sxiat.7