Come to Understanding

Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

September 1, 2012
Volume 11 Number 17

I Saw a Star Fall from Heaven

John described a vision of a "star" that fell from heaven to the earth. This "star" was given the key (authority) to release powerful and harmful beings, described as "locusts," from the "smoke" of the "bottomless pit:"

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. -Revelation 9

The word "star" not only describes the natural lights seen in the night sky, but also heavenly beings, as Yahweh reveals in His question to Job about when the "morning stars" and the "sons of God" sang and shouted in harmony:

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? -Job 38

Satan, however, came among these "sons of God:"

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan came also among them. -Job 1

Once a heavenly angelic being, Satan was called the "anointed cherub that covers." The word "covers," means "protects." He walked among the heavenly "stones of fire," a description much like that of "stars:"

14 You were the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. -Ezekiel 28

Because of the beauty-induced pride of the "anointed cherub," Yahweh promised to cast him down to the ground where he would be placed in the presence of kings:

17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. -Ezekiel 28

This "anointed cherub" was a "wonder in heaven," which was described as a "great red dragon." As he was cast out of heaven, he was able to bring a third of the "stars of heaven" down to the earth with him:

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. -Revelation 12

The child that the dragon was waiting to devour was the Redeemer. He was to be delivered, after much labor and pain, to the "daughter of Zion:"

10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor: for now shall you go forth out of the city, and you shall dwell in the field, and you shall go even to Babylon; there shall you be delivered; there Yahweh shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies. -Micah 4

The word "Zion" is another name for Jerusalem, but it means "parched place!" Those that reject Yahweh and trust in man, such as the "daughter of Zion," are those that live in "parched places:"

5 Thus says Yahweh; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.

6 For he shall be like the destitute in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. -Jeremiah 17

Following a great "war in heaven," "Michael and his angels" cast out the "anointed cherub," along with his demonic angels, that had been known as the "stars of heaven." This heavenly "wonder," lost his position as the "anointed cherub" in heaven and became known as the "Dragon," "Old Serpent," "Devil," and "Satan." Cast out of heaven, he came to earth to deceive the whole world:

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 deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. -Revelation 12

Having lost his power in heaven, Satan, who is cast out from God’s people through the power of Yahshua (Jesus), was given the authority over his demonic angels on earth to operate as the "prince of this world:"

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. -John 12

This beautiful "star" from heaven, Satan, accomplishes his deception by appearing as an "angel of light:"

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. -2 Corinthians 11

He is the fallen angelic "star" and, as the "prince of this world," he is also the king over the fallen angels, his demonic spirits. No longer in heaven, they dwell in the spiritual habitation of this world called the "bottomless pit:"

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue has his name Apollyon. -Revelation 9

His method of subtle operation is clearly demonstrated during his encounter with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He first challenges the truth of Yahweh’s word:

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, Indeed, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? -Genesis 3

Then he appeals to our prideful desire to be as gods:

5 For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. -Genesis 3

Another powerful mode by which Satan operates is by entering into the hearts of prideful kings, as he did with the King of Tyrus (Tyre), whom Yahweh said was that "anointed cherub" in the Garden of Eden:

12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say to him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh; You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

13a You have been in Eden the garden of God.... -Ezekiel 28

When operating through the prideful King of Babylon, this "star" that fell from heaven, was known as "Lucifer," the light bearer:

12 How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! -Isaiah 14

Riches, wisdom, and fame, even though they all come from Yahweh, can be used by Satan as prideful tools to cause us to worship him. There is no greater example of this than with Solomon, the King of Israel!

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. -1 Kings 10

After Solomon’s prideful heart was deceived, he began worshiping the "star" that fell from heaven as the goddess Ashtoreth (Ishtar) and the king god as Milcom (Moloch)!

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. -1 Kings 11

Even after the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed because of Solomon’s deception, the new kingdom, which was also called "Israel," continued to worship as god the king (Moloch) and the image of the "star" (Chiun):

26 But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which you made to yourselves. -Amos 5

In his testimony before he was stoned to death, Stephen, condemned the Jews for worshipping in the tabernacle of Moloch, the king, and the image of the "star" god, which he called "Remphan:"

43 Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which you made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. -Acts 7

The "star" that fell from heaven is a spiritual being with many names and titles. As such, it enters, along with its angels, into physical objects and people where it can receive glory, honor, and worship. Such is the case with the end-time earthly king, known as "the beast:"

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? -Revelation 13

A second "beast" will arise from the earth that will demand the worship of the "image of the beast:"

15 And he had power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. -Revelation 13

Nevertheless, Yahweh’s people will have a seal of protection from the spiritual beings from the "bottomless pit:"

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. -Revelation 9

His people shall know Him by His name:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. -Revelation 22

9 If any man has an ear, let him hear. -Revelation 13

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Scriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.