The Great Controversy
The cosmic conflict between good and evil
4. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
Everyone wonders about the problem of evil: many argue that if God is good and all-knowing, He’s not almighty otherwise He would have destroyed evil; or if He is almighty and all-knowing, He is not good because He does not care that we suffer.
We naturally consider evil as an intruder that it ought not to exist: the Bible gives a compelling and moving answer to this issue.
1. Who is Responsible for the Existence of Evil?
📖 Matthew 13:24-28a,37-39 (KJV)
Matthew 13:24-28:
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Matthew 13:37-39:
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Jesus explained the parable: the man who sowed good seed is Jesus and the field is the world. In the creation account the word "good" is repeated 6 times and at the end God said that everything He had made was very good (see Genesis 1:31).
📖 Genesis 1:31 (KJV)
Genesis 1:31:
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
The servants asked: “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” (v.27). It is a question of responsibility: had the owner something to do with the tares? The owner replied that an enemy had done this: Jesus explained that the enemy represents the devil. The word Satan is the transliteration of the Hebrew word Śâṭân, enemy.
The tares represent evil: today weeds do not need to be sowed, they naturally grow. In the parable, the weeds were sown: today evil grows naturally but it was sown by Satan in a perfect world.
2. Who was Satan Before Falling? How was He Created by God?
📖 Ezekiel 28:12-15 (KJV)
Ezekiel 28:12-15:
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
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.
Satan was a cherub, an angel who lived in the immediate presence of God (see Psalm 80:1). There was no difference between Satan and the other angels: he was created as a perfect being.
📖 Psalm 80:1 (KJV)
Psalm 80:1:
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Some ask: why did God create this angel if He knew that he would fall? God created every creature with the freedom of choice. This was the only way love could exist between Him and His creatures: love cannot exist without freedom.
Before creation, God had only two options: to reign alone over worlds filled with trees, flowers, rivers and mountains but no creatures, or to create morally free beings to love and be loved by them. Only in the first case, God could have avoided the risk of a rebellion, for freedom entails risk.
3. What Thoughts did Satan Conceal in His Heart Before His Fall?
📖 Isaiah 14:12-14 (KJV)
Isaiah 14:12-14:
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
The name Lucifer is a transliteration from the Latin, translation of the Hebrew word hêylêl, the bright one. Lucifer wanted to exalt himself. Notice the verbs: I will ascend, exalt, sit on the mount, ascend above and be like God. North is a symbol of God's dwelling place (see Psalm 48:1-2): Satan wanted the throne of God. Satan, a creature, wanted to be like the Creator to receive worship.
📖 Psalm 48:1-2 (KJV)
Psalm 48:1-2:
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
The question that has no answer: “How you are fallen from heaven, o Lucifer?”. There is no good reason for Satan’s rebellion; if there was one, evil would be justifiable and would cease to be evil.
4. How did the Rebellion Spread?
📖 Revelation 12:3-4a,7-9 (KJV)
Revelation 12:3-4a:
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:
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.
The dragon is clearly identified with Satan. The stars represent angels (see Revelation 1:20). In fact, in the text we read about angels on Satan’s side. There were two opposed parties: one represented by Michael, name that means “who is like God?” and the other by Satan. Both had angels on their side.
📖 Revelation 1:20 (KJV)
Revelation 1:20:
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The word war is polemos in Greek, from which we derive the word polemic. This was an intellectual war, a conflict of opposed principles. Satan drew a third part of the angels of heaven. The dragon used the tail, which is symbol of lie, for Satan is the father of lie (see Isaiah 9:15, John 8:44). He somehow convinced those angels that there was a good reason to rebel against God.
📖 Isaiah 9:15; John 8:44 (KJV)
Isaiah 9:15:
15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
John 8:44:
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
5. How did the Rebellion Come to Earth? What was Satan's lie about God's character?
📖 Genesis 3:4-5 (KJV)
Genesis 3:4-5:
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
God had told Adam and Eve about Satan and forbade them to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:16-17). Satan suggested Eve that God did not want them to eat of this fruit because He did not want them to be like Himself. He insinuated that God was not interested in their good, having prevented them the possibility of developing to a higher form of existence.
📖 Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV)
Genesis 2:16-17:
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
The great controversy revolves around this question: what is God like? Is He a loving Father or, as Satan claims, a tyrant who wants to rule over the universe? God is under accusation and His answer to Satan’s lies is Jesus’ life which reveals who God really is (see John 1:18, 14:9).
📖 John 1:18, 14:9 (KJV)
John 1:18:
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 14:9:
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
6. What Has Jesus Done on Earth? What does This Story Reveal?
📖 Luke 13:10-16 (KJV)
Luke 13:10-16:
10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Jesus healed a woman who had been sick for 18 years saying that Satan had bound her in sickness.
Satan is responsible for sickness and suffering and Jesus had come to heal people physically, mentally and spiritually (see Acts 10:38).
📖 Acts 10:38 (KJV)
Acts 10:38:
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
7. What does this passage teach about Jesus’ character?
📖 Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV)
Philippians 2:5-8:
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Satan, a creature, wanted to exalt himself and be worshipped like the Creator while Jesus, the Creator, became like one of His creatures. Becoming a man was an infinite humiliation for Him.
Jesus submitted Himself to our limitations and exposed Himself to temptation. He understands our pain for He Himself walked in our shoes: He was called by Isaiah "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (see Isaiah 53:3).
📖 Isaiah 53:3 (KJV)
Isaiah 53:3:
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Not only Jesus left heaven to live among us as a servant, but He humbled Himself even to the point of dying on the cross. This shows that the nature of God’s character is totally opposite to the one of Satan.
8. What Happened to Satan at the Cross?
📖 Revelation 12:9-10; John 12:31-33 (KJV)
Revelation 12:9-10:
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.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
John 12:31-33:
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Revelation 12 brings us to the cross to show that Satan was cast out permanently from heaven.
Before the cross he had limited access to heaven (see Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7). Jesus said that Satan would be judged at the cross for his accusations on God’s character were going to be proven wrong.
📖 Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7 (KJV)
Job 1:6-12:
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
Job 2:1-7:
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
The cross is the guarantee of God’s love for His creatures, for He sacrificed for the good of an undeserving rebellious mankind: us. God’s love displayed at the cross draws His creatures to Him.
9. Why didn’t God destroy Satan at the beginning of the rebellion?
📖 Matthew 13:28-30,37-40 (KJV)
Matthew 13:28-30:
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:37-40:
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
God could not convince His creatures by force but only by love. In the parable, the owner said that to let both the wheat and the tares until the harvest.
To the common person the difference between wheat and tares is not clear when they sprout but it is evident at the harvest. God knew what Satan would become, the angels did not: if He had destroyed Satan, the angels would have continued to worship out of fear and not out of love. The seed of doubt would have remained in their minds.
The beginning of the rebellion was not the right time to eradicate evil. God wants to get to the point that He will destroy evil once forever without leaving room for doubts and He will. In order to do this God had to allow Satan to develop his principles to show the universe what evil is really like.
Appeal
📖 1 Corinthians 4:9 (KJV)
1 Corinthians 4:9:
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
Our planet is the theater of the great controversy: men and angels look on our lives. We are not just spectators, but actors. Both God and Satan want your heart: whom will you side with?