"Truth about Ellen White Writings"

Chapter III: Consequences of Rebellion

1.      Purpose of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

SR, 24: “This tree was especially designed of God to be a pledge of their obedience.”

PL, Book IV, 412-445: “God hath pronounced it death to taste that tree, the only sign of our obedience  left.”

PL, Book VIII, 321-354: “But of the tree whose operation brings knowledge of good and ill, which I have set the pledge of thy obedience and thy faith.”

2.      Lucifer was a choir leader

SR, 25: “Satan had led the heavenly choir.”

PL, Book III, 83: “…but the heavenly quire [choir] stood mute.”

PL, Book VI, 148-181: “Ministering spirits, trained up in feast and song! Such has thou armed, the minstrelsy of heaven, servility with freedom to contend.”

3.      Adam and Eve were not free from temptation

SR, 24: “He did not place evil out of their reach. Satan was permitted to tempt them.”

PL, Book X, 1-34: “Who in all things wise and just, hindered not Satan to attempt the mind of man.”

4.      Satan feared the consequences of his rebellion

SR, 24: “Satan now beheld the terrible results of his rebellion. He shuddered and feared to face the future and to contemplate the end of all things.”

SR, 26: “Satan trembled as he views his work.”

PL, Book X, 307-340, 341-37: “But when he saw descend the Son of God to judge them, terrified He fled; not hoping to escape but to shun the present; fearing, guilty, what His wrath might suddenly inflict … Thence gathered his own doom; which understood not instant but of the future time.”

5.      Nature of God’s Law

SR, 26: “The law of God could condemn but could not pardon.”

PL, Book XII, 285-318: “Law can discover sin, but not remove, save by those shadowy expatiations weak, the blood of the bulls and goats.”

6.      Satan repents

SR, 26: “That he repented of his rebellion and wished again the favour of God. He was willing to take the place God had previously assigned him.”

SR, 27: “When Satan became fully convinced that there was no possibility of his being reinstated in the favour of God, he manifested his malice with increased hatred and fiery vehemence.”

PL, Book IV, 72-105: “But say I could repent, and could obtain by act of grace, my former state; how soon unsay what feigned submission swore? For never can true reconcilement grow, where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep … This knows my punisher, therefore as far from granting He, as I from begging, peace.”

PL, Book IV, 106-134: “Thus, while he spake, each passion dim his face, thrice changed with pale, ire, envy, and despair which marred his borrowed visage, and betrayed him counterfeit.”

Note: According to Ellen White Lucifer did repent and plead with Jesus to take him back but Jesus did not forgive him because He knew his repentance was not genuine. According to Paradise Lost, Satan knew that God will not forgive him, therefore, he chose not to repent.

7.      Satan was determined to cause grief in heaven

SR, 27: “Satan would invent means to annoy the heavenly angels and show contempt for His authority. As he could not gain admission within the gates of heaven, he would wait just at the entrance, to taunt the angels and seek contention with them as they went in and out. He would seek to destroy the happiness of Adam and Eve. He would endeavor to incite them to rebellion, knowing that this would cause grief in heaven.”

PL, Book I, 166-171: “perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb His inmost counsels from thir destind aim. But see the angry Victor hath recall’d His Ministers of vengeance and pursuit Back to the Gates of Heav’n.”

8.      Fallen angels willing to unite with Satan

SR, 28, 29: “His angels were seeking him, their leader, to acquaint him with their decision. They would unite with Satan in his plans, and with him bear the responsibility and share the consequences.”

PL, Book I, 582-5615: “The fellows of his crime… condemned forever now have their lot in pain… yet faithful now they stood.”

PL, Book II, 385-418: “The bold design pleased highly those infernal states, and joys sparkled in their eyes. With full ascent they vote.”

9.      None of the evil angels were willing to undertake the task of tempting Adam and Eve

SR, 28: “Satan had a consultation with his evil angels. They did not all readily unite to engage in this hazardous and terrible work.”

PL, Book II, 419-452: “None among the choice and prime of those heaven-warring champions could be found so hardy as to proffer or accept alone, the dreadful voyage.”

10.  Satan undertakes the responsibility himself

SR, 28: “He told them he would not entrust any one of them to accomplish this work, for he thought that he alone had wisdom sufficient to carry forward so important an enterprise.”

PL, Book II, 453-486: “While I aboard through all the coasts of the dark destruction seek deliverance for us all this enterprise none shall partake with me.”

11.  Satan plans to gain control of Eden

SR, 28: “And if they could gain access to the tree of life in the midst of the garden, their strength would, they thought, be equal to that of the holy angels, and even God himself could not expel them.”

SR, 28: “They [Satan and his angels] could unite with Adam and Eve and take possession of Eden.”

PL, Book II, 351-384: “To waste His whole creation, or possess all as our own, drive, as we were driven, the puny habitants.”

12.  Satan envies Adam and Eve

SR, 27, 28: “He would seek to destroy the happiness of Adam and Eve. He would endeavour to incite them to rebellion… Once they should transgress the law of God, they would be subjects of God’s wrath like themselves. Their transgression would place them, also, in a state of rebellion, and they could unite with Adam and Eve and take possession of Eden.”

SR, 31: “As their song peeled forth from blissful Eden, Satan heard their strains of joyful adoration to the Father and Son. And as Satan heard it his envy, hatred and malignity increased.”

PL, Book IV, 480-513: “Aside the devil tuned for envy.”

PL, Book VI, 896-912: “… he who envies now thy state, who now is plotting how he may seduce thee from obedience, that, with him bereaved of happiness, thou mayest partake his punishment, eternal misery… thee once to gain companion of his woe.”

13.  God sends angels to warn Adam and Eve

SR, 29: “God assembled the angelic host to take measures to avert the threatened evil. It was decide in heavens council for angels to visit Eden and warn Adam that he was in danger from the foe.  Two angels sped on their way to visit our first parents.”

PL, Book IV, 6-10: “While time was, our first-Parents had bin warnd The coming of thir secret foe, and scap’d Haply so scap’d his mortal snare; for now Satan, now first inflam’d with rage, came down,

The Tempter ere th’ Accuser of man-kind.”

PL, Book V, 213-246: “With pity heavens King, and to Him called Raphael,… Raphael, said He, … Go therefore, half this day. As friend with friend, converse with Adam… whence warn him to beware he swerve not, too secure. Tell him withal his danger, and from whom; what enemy, late fallen, himself from heaven, is plotting now the fall of others from like state of bliss.”

14.  Adam had many questions to ask the angel

SR, 29: “They had many questions to ask related to many things which they could not but indistinctly comprehend. The angels graciously and lovingly gave them information they desired.”

PL, Book V, 553-586: “Though what thou tallest hath passed in heaven, some doubt within me move, but more desire to hear, if thou consent the full relation, which must needs be strange, worthy of sacred silence to be hearest… thus Adam made request.”

PL, Book VIII, 49-82: “And Raphael now, to Adam’s doubt proposed benevolent and facile thus replied: To ask or search, I blame thee not.”

15.  How angels retain their position in heaven

SR, 30: “…that the high and happy estate of the holy angels was to be retained upon condition of obedience; that they were similarly situated; that they could obey the law of God and be inexpressibly happy, or disobey and lose their high estate and be plunged into hopeless despair.”

PL, Book V, 519- 552: Raphael tells Adam: “Myself and all the angelic host, that stand in the sight of God, enthroned, our happy estate hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds. On other surety none.”