1. Physical description of Lucifer
SR, 13: “His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect.” [Lucifer]
SR, 13: “His bearing was noble and majestic.” [Lucifer]
PL, Book IV, 276-309: “His fair large front and eye sublime declared absolute rule.” [Adam]
PL, Book IV, 276-309: “Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall, Godlike erect, with native honour clad in naked majesty.” [Description of Adam and Eve]
2. Position of Jesus and Lucifer
SR, 13: “Lucifer was next in honour to God’s dear Son.”
SR, 13: “Christ had pre-eminence over all the angelic host.”
PL, Book V, 655-688: “If not the first archangel, great in power, in favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught with envy against the Son of God.” [Lucifer]
3. Christ was one with the Father
SR, 13: “He was one with the Father before the angels were created.” [Jesus]
PL, Book V, 825 -858: “Equal to Him begotten Son, by whom as by His word, the Mighty Father made all things, even thee, [Lucifer] and all the spirits [angels]of heaven.”
4. Father assembled the Heavenly host
SR, 13: “The Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honour upon His Son … The Father made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was His own presence.”
PL, Book V, 553-586, 587-620: “Of angels by imperial summons called. Innumerable before the Almighty’s throne … Hear, all ye angels … Hear my decree, which unrevoked shall stand. This day I have begot whom I declare My only Son, and on this holy hill Him have anointed, whom ye now behold at my right hand. Your head I Him appoint; and by Myself I have sworn.”
Note: Milton conveys the idea that Son of God was not equal with the Father until this time. Therefore, for the first time God called for this special assembly to declare Him equal and appointed Him head over the angelic host. Had angels been aware of the position of Christ, this declaration wouldn’t be necessary.
5. Satan assembled the angelic host
SR, 13: “Concealing his real purposes, he assembled the angelic host.” [Satan]
PL, Book V, 655-688, 689-722: “Assemble thou, of all those myriads which we lead the chief … [to the] quarters of the north; there to prepare fit entertainment to receive our king, the great Messiah, and His new commands … so spake the false archangel.”
PL, Book V, 757 – 790: “Pretending so commanded to consult about the great reception of their King.”
6. Why did Lucifer envy the Son of God
SR, 14: “Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ … Why should Christ thus be honoured before Himself?”
PL, Book V, 655-688: “In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught with envy against the Son of God, that day Messiah King anointed, could not bear through pride that sight, and thought himself impaired.”
7. Lucifer tells his angels that their freedom was at stake
SR, 14: “He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a new ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honour?”
PL, Book V, 757 – 790: “Another now hath to himself engrossed all power, and us eclipsed under the name of King anointed…Too much to one! … But what if better counsels might erect our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend the supple knee?”
PL, Book VI, 148- 181: “…Hast thou [Satan] armed, the minstrelsy of heaven servility with freedom to contend.”
8. Lucifer Rebels against the Son of God
SR, 15: “They rebelled against the authority of the Son.”
PL, Book V, 655-688: “He resolved with all his legions to dislodge, and leave unworshipped, unobeyed, the throne supreme contemptuous.”
9. Loyal angels of God counseled Lucifer
SR, 15, 16: “Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned; … They anxiously sought to move him to renounce his wicked design and yield submission to their Creator… Lucifer refused to listen.”
PL, Book V. 791-824, 825-858: “O argument blasphemous false, and proud! Words which no ear ever to hear in heaven expected, least of all from thee, ingrate, in place thyself so high above thy seers. Canst thou with impious obloquy condemn the just decree of God, pronounced, and sworn, that to His only Son, by right endued with regal scepter, every soul in heaven shall bend the knee…Unjust thou sayest, …Shalt thou give law to God? Shalt thou dispute with Him the points of liberty, who made thee what thou art, and formed the powers of heaven,…But to grant it thee unjust, that equal over equals Monarch reign. Equal to Him begotten Son, by whom as by His word, the Mighty Father made all things, even thee; and all the Spirits of heaven… Cease this impious rage, and tempt not these; but hasten to appease the incensed Father, and the incensed Son while pardon may be found in time besought. So spake the fervent angel, but none seconded.”
10. The war in heaven (God assembles the heavenly army)
SR, 17: “Angels were marshalled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head.”
PL, Book V, 553-586, 587-620: “Of angels by imperial summons called … under their hierarchs in orders bright. Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced.”
11. Contest between the Son of God and Lucifer
SR, 17: “He would give the rebellious an equal chance to measure strength and might with His own Son and His loyal angels. In this battle every angel would choose his own side and be manifested to all.”
PL, Book VI, 798, 814-821: “To final Battel drew, disdaining flight…Because the Father, t’whom in Heav’n supream Kingdom and Power and Glorie appertains, Hath honourd me according to his will.
Therefore to mee thir doom he hath assig’n’d; That they may have thir wish, to trie with mee
In Battel which the stronger proves, they all, Or I alone against them, since by strength
They measure all, of other excellence.”
12. How many angels followed Lucifer?
SR, 18: “Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathisers comprising nearly one half of all angels, and exclaimed, “These are with me.” ”
PL, Book II, 691-724: “Drew after him third part of heaven’s sons.”
PL, Book IX, 108-141,142-175: “I, in one night, freed from servitude inglorious well-nigh half the angelic name, and thinner left the throng of His adorer.”
Note: According to Milton, Satan boasted before his followers, that he was able to convince nearly half of angels. According to Ellen White, Lucifer boasted before God that he had nearly half of all the angels on his side. But John said it was a third part of the angels that Lucifer drew with him, not a half!