God is perfect in all ways and will not do anything that would compromise his perfection. In the beginning, the angels of heaven rebelled against God after Satan challenged God’s wisdom as to why he would not allow man to have his own free will and knowledge of good and evil. Satan’s rebellion created a situation for God to either assert his authority or answer the question.
God decided that he did not want to compromise the free will and love he received from what he had created. Therefore, he tolerated the challenge from Satan and granted man free will, which led to original sin and the fall of man from paradise. At that point, God was very much aware of the evil that had developed in Satan. Scriptures indicate that Satan was created perfectly and no inequity existed at the time of his creation. Biblical evidence of this is found in the book of Ezekiel:
Thus says the Lord God:
You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your 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 your settings and sockets was in you; on the day that you were created, they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I set you there; you were upon the holy mountain of God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise, you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness; I cast you to the ground, I lay you before kings, that they may see you. You have defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trade; therefore I have brought fire out from your midst; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all those who see you. All those who know you among the people are astonished at you; you are a terror, and you shall cease to be forever (Ezek. 28:12-19).
This passage gives us a look at Satan from God’s perspective. The powerful angel was created perfect and, in the beginning, did not engage in spiteful and accusatory behavior. However, man was the reason God condemned Satan. He resolved to get revenge. At first, even though he was arrogant enough to challenge the wisdom of almighty God, he had not yet completely crossed the line with God.
As time went on, he became rebellious. At some point, he knew he had condemned himself with the Lord. He realized there was no turning back, but he also knew that God could not and would not compromise his Word or perfection by removing free will from man. As long as man had free will, God would allow him to continue to live. That is a problem for humankind.
Satan knew it was essential to architect a world for humankind that would ensure his own survival, and that meant he would have to deceive man so he would never want to relinquish his own will.
Humanity’s ability to choose good or evil would make Satan very relevant for free will to exist. Therefore, Satan was resolved to ensure his own survival and would be given certain latitude by God to continue humanity’s choice to remain apart. So, from the beginning, Satan embarked on his mission to deceive man in the worship of false gods.
In Revelation 17:1–18, the apostate world, which began in early Babylon, would later evolve into a worldwide apostate empire called Babylon the Great. The book of Revelation calls Babylon the Great “the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth” (Rev. 17:5b). However, God was resolved to rescue whoever would seek refuge in him, and he would accomplish this through his Son, Jesus Christ. As the Bible reveals, just as one man was responsible for the fall from grace and separation from the Lord, God determined that it would be acceptable for one man to lead all of humankind out of bondage under Satan.
The foundations of slavery were laid in ancient Babylon, and the seeds of humankind’s spiritual struggles were sown. False worship and beliefs were created and exported all over the known world. Satan preoccupied humankind with materialistic pursuits and built a world that revolved around money. Humanity’s epic journey would begin in ancient Babylon and ultimately end in Babylon the Great. Man would have only Israel to light the way forward, but Satan was resolved to deceive even the most devout of God’s worshippers. His survival depended on it. However, he was working against God almighty, and God knew the outcome from the beginning. {eoa}
Anthony Mattiello Jr. began to focus on biblical prophecy after several years of dedicated Bible study. Seeking to completely understand the meaning of the Book of Daniel and Revelation, Mattiello began a decade-long journey in search of answers. Mattiello believes God granted him understanding so he could warn the world of the coming judgment. To learn more, please visit babylonrevealed.com.