Lucifer: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Introduction:

All throughout religion and society we have heard the name Lucifer. Especially in association with the Devil or Satan. However there is a reason that within the Bible they are mentioned separately and not in a comparative way. Ultimately, Satan and Lucifer are two separate beings that both had their own authoritative positions within God's Kingdom before they fell. 

Definitions and Scriptures:

In the Strong's Concordance Lucifer in the Hebrew is H1966: hêlēl which means light-bearer, shining one, or morning star.

Genesis 2

Genesis 3

Exodus 28:17-20

Isaiah 14:12-15

Ezekiel 28:11-19

Ezekiel 31:8-9

Ezekiel 31:15-17

Mark 8:24

2 Corinthians 4:4

Revelation 12:9

Revelation 13:1-8

The bible translation used was the Modern English Version.

Isaiah 14:12-15:

The only scripture to mention the name Lucifer directly is in Isaiah 14:12,

"How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!..."

but the following verses give more information as to who Lucifer was in verses 12-15

12 ...How you are cut down to the ground, you who weaken the nations! 

13 For you have said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation, in the recesses of the north; 

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Hell, to the sides of the pit. 

In verses 13 and 14 these are referred to as the five "I will's". Firstly, it states that Lucifer will "ascend into heaven," meaning that he was positioned on the earth and was not in heaven. Next, his throne on earth would be above the stars of God, which are the angels of God. He will sit amongst the council of God upon the mount of congregation. Also, the north mentioned is a place of darkness. Finally, and most importantly, he will be "like the Most High." Lucifer wanted to be equal with God, which is different from being God. Finally in verse 15 he was cast down to the pit, into darkness.

Ezekiel 28:11-19:

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 

12 Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

Ezekiel is given another word from the Lord, but this word is directed at the King of Tyre. The first word he was given was directed at the Prince, or Leader, of Tyre. The Lord did this intentionally to reveal several key details.

13 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.

14 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.

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you.

In verses 13 through 15 we begin to see who Lucifer was before he fell. The precious stones mentioned are 10 out of the 12 which are written in Exodus when God instructs Moses on the creation of the priestly breastplate. 

EXO 28:17-20 

17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle;

18 the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;

19 the third row a jacinth, an agate, an an amethyst;

20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree.

The third row of stones, the jacinth, agate, and an amethyst were not mentioned in Ezekiel. So, Lucifer had a throne on earth. He had authority and power which was within him. He was in the Garden of Eden as an anointed cherub. The Cherubim are ranked second in the hierarchy of angels. Throughout the Bible we see Cherubim as trees. For example, in Mark 8:24 when the blind man being healed by Jesus was asked what he saw after Jesus spit on his eyes...

MAR 8:24 He looked up and said," I see men as trees, walking."

The blind man was able to see into the realm of the spirit enabling him to see the spiritual beings as trees. These spiritual beings are Cherubim which were placed on earth.

EZE 31:8-9 & 15-17

8 The cedars in the garden of God could not match it; the fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.

9 I made it beautiful with an abundance of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.

15 Thus says the Lord God: On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused mourning. I covered the deep over it and restrained its rivers, and its many waters were stayed. And I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field fainted for it.

16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of its fall when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. And all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

17 They also went down into Sheol with it to those who were slain with the sword. And those who were its power lived under its shadow in the midst of the nations.

In Ezekiel 31 it talks about more of the trees within the Garden of Eden but one in particular was the most beautiful of all the trees in the garden. That was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and all the other trees within the garden envied the great tree. This shows that all the trees within the garden and on earth have authority and position. When the great tree was cast down the trees, on earth, within the fields bowed to the great tree but the trees within the Garden were cut down and ended up falling with the great tree. This shows that all the trees within the garden and on earth were Cherubim as well. Each of them has an authority and position.

Finally, everything he did was done with perfection until pride was found within him. This made him believe that he could be equal with God and sought to be.

16 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.

17 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.

In verses 16 and 17 we see that Lucifer has gained something that was not present within him when he was created. He traded the things of Light for the things of Darkness. His trading allowed him to not only fully understand the things of Good but to also understand the things of Evil. He corrupted himself because of his own pride and his pursuit to be like God. 

In Genesis, within the Garden of Eden, we have the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and we have the Serpent. We all are aware that the Serpent is Satan. The Serpent came to tempt Eve and to deceive her into eating from the Tree. Then giving it to Adam to eat of it as well. With these characteristics accompanied with the scripture in Revelation 12:9 states...

REV 12:9 The great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

Within this scripture he is called the great dragon, an ancient serpent, who was called the Devil and Satan. This accurately describes and names the adversary perfectly. What it lacks however is the one name that is commonly associated with Satan; and that is Lucifer. If Satan truly would have also been known as Lucifer then it would have been written within this scripture along with the Devil and Satan. The written Word of God is absolute! It is completely perfect in every way. Everything that is written is exact and precise. 

So, we have the Serpent in the Garden of Eden which we know is Satan. He goes to an anointed cherub which possesses power, authority, and knowledge; the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is Lucifer. In Genesis when the serpent comes to tempt Eve he states surely you would be like God knowing the things of good and evil. Well Lucifer had gained all of the knowledge of good and evil. When we think of the fruit of the tree it is often thought of as being an apple or an actual fruit. This fruit is knowledge itself. By consuming this knowledge Adam and Eve immediately understood the things of darkness. Until they ate of the fruit they did not truly understand the things of light, not realizing that they in fact were already like God. This is why God commanded them not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God understood who the Tree was and the knowledge that he possessed. Once they would receive the knowledge then they would have corrupted themselves.

18 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.

19 All those who know you among the people are astonished at you; you are a terror, and you shall cease to be forever.

In verses 18 and 19  Lucifer was cast down for the darkness that was found within him after trading the things of light for the things of darkness. The darkness has consumed him. Thus, he was cast into the pit, into eternal darkness. The final part of verse 19 is one of the most important, "...and you shall cease to be forever." Lucifer was not only cast into the pit but his name, his reputation, who he became was completely wiped away. There is no information about him that you can easily see within the scriptures or even in other texts throughout history. Furthermore, Lucifer was cast into the pit to cease to be forever then he could not be Satan because Satan does exist as the god of this world.

2 COR 4:4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

REV 13:1-8

1 I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on his horns, and blasphemous names on his heads.

2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

3 I saw one of his heads as if it was mortally wounded, but his deadly wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

4 They worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?”

5 He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. And he was given authority to wage war for forty-two months.

6 He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven.

7 It was granted to him to wage war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation.

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

In Revelation 13 it talks about the first beast which comes from the sea. The sea is the abyss, or the pit, which the beast comes up out of. The dragon, Satan, gave the beast his power, his throne, and authority to become the Antichrist. Satan also heals the mortal wound upon the beast, which was death, bringing him back to life to operate within the world. This beast is Lucifer being brought out of the pit and revived by the power of Satan so that he can become the Antichrist.

Conclusion:

We have seen that Lucifer was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil within the Garden of Eden in Genesis. More importantly, Lucifer and Satan are different beings with their own authority and agenda. The only way you can see the truth is by God revealing it. It requires your mind to be opened to this greater truth. To see into a deeper dimension. Let us know in the comments what you thought or what came to you while reading through this study. Also let us know if you have seen other scriptures which reveal more about Lucifer.