Who Are The Watchers
Who Are Watching Us?

Have you ever looked up into the heavens on a star filled night and wondered if there was anyone out there? And if they could see us? Know where we live and everything else about us? Well, after thinking and praying about this I have decided to write an article on the topic because the Bible makes reference to those who "dwell" or live in the heavens. "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!" Rev 12:12. I believe John, the beloved Apostle, is not only referring to the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds but the holy angels as well, who did not follow Lucifer (now Satan) in his rebellion against the Most High and His only Son Jesus. These angels are also referred to as "Watchers," as we read in chapter 4 of the prophetic book of Daniel. This is the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and his own personal testimony of his pride, fall, and eventual conversion and restoration to his throne.

Let us examine together now the work of these Watchers a little more in the life of this famous king of Babylon. The Bible tells us that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a giant tree which was cut down. Daniel was finally called in to interpret the dream and explained that the tree represented the king himself and that because of his pride he was about to be punished. He would lose his reason and be dethroned. For seven years he would live out in the wilderness and eat grass like the oxen until he came to realize and accept that "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses." Dan 4:23-37. This decree or decision was made by the Watchers in counsel with the Most High God of the universe. The word "Watcher" is from the Hebrew word Iyr (eer) Strong's concordance #5894 and #5782. It simply means "an angel or guardian." In Job 1:6 and 2:1 we are shown the Supreme Court of the universe in session. Some have called this gathering of the "Sons of God" the "Heavenly Counsel," or "The Universal Counsel." The LXX (Septuagint) translates "Sons of God" as "Angels of God." This is supported by DA 834, GC 518 and 6T 456.

The book of Job pulls back the curtain so we can further examine what is going on behind the scenes in the court sessions of the universe. This should be of the highest interest to us since we, like Job of old, are on trial before the entire universe. You may have never heard this before but it is true. The human being Job became a test case for the universe to determine just what the human race is made of and what makes us tick. Satan, meaning the adversary, claims to be from planet earth and therefore has jurisdiction over it and its inhabitants, like a gestapo policeman, but only by permission of the Most High God, Father God Yahweh. He is called the "god of this world." 2 Cor 4:4 and bears that title only by default in that Adam and most of his descendants have had their minds "blinded," by Satan. "And if indeed our gospel be found veiled, the only people who find it so are those on the way to perdition. Their unbelieving minds are so blinded by the god of this passing age, that the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the very image of God, cannot dawn upon them and bring them light." 2 Cor 4:4 NEB. In the book of Ephesians Paul speaks of God's "Hidden purpose" which He has revealed to us, the human family or race, who have been made (created) in His very likeness and image. And He "chose us before the world was founded," to be "dedicated" and "destined" according to His "will and pleasure--to be accepted as His sons through Jesus Christ." Eph. 1:4. And what was this purpose the Lord revealed to Paul which was "to be put into effect when the time was ripe: namely, that the universe, all in heaven and on earth, might be brought into a unity in Christ." Eph 1:10. NEB. The KJV says, "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him;" vs 10. And then in vs 12 He states that "we (the human race)... were the first to set our hope on Christ..." Please realize beloved, that Paul is speaking here about the whole universe, the entire created realm which includes all of the holy angels and all of the unfallen worlds. And he says that those on planet earth who have come to believe in Jesus are the first ones to come to place our hope in Christ. This is truly incredible because up until Jesus died on the cross the holy angels still were sympathetic with Lucifer, which means they had some questions about the purpose and reason for the creation of planet earth. And yet they have remained loyal to the Father and His son. So, who are these "Sons of God?"

According to the most famous and popular book ever written on the life of Jesus Christ, "Desire of Ages," these Sons or Angels are "The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds..." page 84. This is the angelic realm, before whom Satan has been appearing from the beginning, accusing us before "our God day and night." Rev 12:10. Most students of the book of Revelation believe this cry from heaven went forth at the time of Christ's death. But that is not true for the following reasons.

The book of Revelation is not a history book but a prediction of events that will transpire or take place in a "short space or span or period of time." This is based upon Rev 1:1 which reads "things which must shortly come to pass." He also stated that they would take place "hereafter," Rev 4:1, which would be after 96 AD, not before. This has also been interpreted to mean that from 96 AD to 2006 is a "short" period of time. Simple logic tells us this could not be the correct interpretation. The original Greek words means "events which will transpire quickly in a brief span of time." But how long? In Rev 11 and 12 two time periods are predicted. The first is 1260 days, Rev 11:3, and the second one is the same length of time but expressed as "a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." Rev 12:14. These are two separate time periods even though they are chronologically the same length of time. Then there is the 42 months, which is also the same as 1260 days because there are 30 days to a Jewish month and 42 X 30 = 1260 days. This is the same time period as predicted in Rev 13:5-7 which correlates or is mutually related to the same time period predicted in Rev 12:14. These same time periods are also mentioned in Dan 12:7-13 which clearly shows that they are connected. Most Bible commentaries who have ever attempted to explain the prophecies of Daniel almost always end up commenting on the prophecies of Revelation and vice versa. Why? Because these two prophetic books go together.

Now, having stated that let us read what Daniel recorded regarding when these prophecies he wrote down in 12 concise chapters would be fulfilled. "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" The answer he heard was "It shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." Dan 12:7. Daniel then writes that although he heard the words spoken he did not understand and so he asked: "O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" The answer was that Daniel should go on his way or not be concerned with it because it would not happen in his life time. "Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." Dan 12:9. Other versions translate "closed up" as "Secret" and "Concealed." And so we see that this 1260 day time prophecy is an "end time event" which has been reserved for us to understand who are now living in the last segment of time or years of this age.

As we have seen Dan 12 is in regard to the 1260 day prophecy which has been interpreted and explained in the past as beginning in 538 AD and ending in 1798 AD. How was this calculated? By using the year for a day theory which was the best explanation the brethren could come up with in the 19th and early 20th centuries. But it is not going to work today because 538 AD is not an end time date. And the same thing applies to Dan 8:14 re: the 2300 day prophecy. Dan 8:19 states that this prophecy of the 2300 days will take place "in the last end." The NAS reads, "the final period of the indignation." There is no way that the year day theory could work when it spans from 434 BC until 1844. That is not a "short time." And John categorically states in the very first verse of his Apocalypse that the "things" (prophetic events) he is about to reveal will happen or come to pass in a very short period of time. Rev. 1:1. To be more precise, John expanded upon this same time period of 1260 days in Rev 11 and 12 showing that it applies to the very time in which we are now living, not in past ages. Current events confirm this conclusion.

Each time this 1260 time period is predicted it gives more information re: the events which begin and end this time segment and what happen during the 1260 days. And these are literal days, not days of years. This needs to be clearly understood. The book of Revelation was written in 96 AD, which is 63 years after the death and resurrection of Christ and is therefore predicting future events, not past events. The "Christos" (the anointed) is not referring to Jesus Christ in Rev 11:15 and 12:10 but to His Chosen and faithful "Elect," mentioned in Matt 24:22-24 because the events predicted in Revelation are to occur after 96 AD, not before.

Most people interpret the phrase "Our Lord and His Christ," as referring to the Father and His Son. Rev 11:8 defines the "Lord" of Rev 11 as being the one who was crucified in Jerusalem. So, the title Lord in Rev 11 is not referring to the Father but to His Son, Jesus Christ. Notice the phrase, "Our Lord and of His Christ." Throughout the book of Revelation the title "Lord" refers to Jesus Christ. And in vs 6 John refers to Jesus as "God and His Father." Then in vs 8 John quotes Jesus, referring to Him as the Lord who states that He is not only the Alpha and the Omega but also "the Almighty." Then Rev 1:10 refers to the "Lord's day." In Matt 12:8 Jesus declared Himself to be the "Lord of the Sabbath." In Rev 17:14 Jesus is again referred to as "Lord of Lords, and King of kings." So, the entire book of Revelation is a revelation of who Jesus, as Lord, truly is. Furthermore, the timing of these predicted end-time events are to take place within the span of only seven years, during which His "Christ" (Christos or anointed in the Greek) will be laboring with Him to complete the work of the gospel in a very short time, i.e. two periods of 3 1/2 years or 7 years in all. No doubt some may ask, "If this is true, then why hasn't this information and understanding of the books of Daniel and Revelation been known before now?" The answer is found in Dan 12:4 where the prophet was informed that the book of visions he had been recording throughout his life would not happen in his life time but in the "Time of the end..." when "men would run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." This increase in knowledge is in regard to the prophecies of the Bible, especially Daniel and Revelation. And the "running to and fro" has been going on since the 19th century and will continue to increase until the Lord translates His elect after the first 3 1/2 years when they will truly be "running to and fro" throughout the earth with the speed of immortality. Sincere Bible students since the disappointment of 1844 have been understanding more and more about the events Daniel and John predicted so long ago. And each generation has been benefitted and blessed with this accumulated knowledge as the prophetic scroll continues to be unrolled. But the most significant factor in unlocking the mysteries of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation has been an understanding of the character of God. The Lord impressed me over ten years ago that no one would be able to correctly understand these prophecies without a true knowledge of His character of love which we have been told is the "final message to go to the world." COL 414, 415. And that only a few humble servants of the Lord would accept this message, as we know happened in 1888. Let us each pray and humble our hearts before the Lord so we shall be among those who are honored to receive this blessed understanding and knowledge. And once we understand it let us pray for the courage to be willing to share it with all who will listen to our testimony.

Let's examine Rev 12:10 a little more. John says that he heard "a loud voice" in heaven announcing that Jesus Christ and His "Christos" (meaning an anointed and chosen one, i.e. the Elect) had overcome the "accuser of our brethren," which is Satan. The word Christos is the same or synonymous with the Elect. How do I know that? Because the word "Brethren" is plural and refers to the Christos. "Furthermore, vs 11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." "They," of course, also denotes plurality. There are three aspects or things which helped them to overcome. 1. The blood of the lamb which proves He is harmless, Hebrews 7:26, thus removing all fear of Him from their minds. 2. The word of their testimony which was observed by the Universal Council who voted in their favor, as they did for Jesus when He was suffering on the cross. That is when Jesus cried out, "It is Finished." Or in other words, "The demonstration is over and completed." Was there a "debt" to be paid? Only in the minds of those who believed the false charges Lucifer had been bringing against the Father and the Son, their law and their creation. And because the debt was so real "in their minds," Col 1:21, He was willing to "pay their debt." That is why He was called "The Redeemer." The prodigal son had that same problem. Jesus told the story about the this younger son who demanded his share of the inheritance before his father died. So, the father gave it to him and this young man went out and wasted it in a short time in the big city with riotous living. But soon he was reduced to poverty and woke up one day in the pig pen. This is when he finally came to his senses and decided to return home to his father. The first thing he thought that his father would demand of him would be to pay back the inheritance he had wasted. But when he returned home he found out that "there was no debt to pay." Luke 15.

The crucifixion of Jesus is what was necessary to bring reconciliation to the entire universe, to the angels, fallen and unfallen and to all the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds as well. "For in Him (Jesus) the complete being of God, by God's own choice, came to dwell. Through Him God chose to reconcile the whole universe to Himself, making peace through the shedding of His blood upon the cross--to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, through Him alone." Colossians 1:19-21.

Someone may ask, "What was the main problem to start with? What happened in the first place to make this reconciliation necessary?" The problem began with Lucifer, the highest of the angels. He became jealous of God's Son, Michael, whom we know as Jesus Christ. Over a long period of time, which is not specified in the Bible or the SOP, Satan spread rumors and out right lies about God the Father and His Son.

As you will learn as you read this article, the "Fear of death" became the argument that convinced one third of the angels to follow Satan out of heaven. How do I know that. First of all, it is revealed in the idea that there was death in one of God's perfectly good trees. This is found in Gen 2. But that is not the only place that the fear of being killed by eating fruit off of a tree is found. We are going to discover that this fear of death was planted on every single planet throughout the universe. Further proof is found when Jesus began His ministry in the city of Capernaum, on the Sabbath in the synagogue where he went to teach. Jesus was making a very good impression on the people because he taught them with "a note of authority," and not like the ordinary doctors of the law who didn't ever seem to know anything for sure. Satan realized that he needed to do something to counteract the work of Christ. So, what did he do? He ordered one of his demons to interrupt Jesus by using a man with an unclean spirit. Notice: "Now there was a man in the synagogue possessed by an unclean spirit. He shrieked: 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God.' Jesus rebuked him: 'Be silent', he said, 'and come out of him.' And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry left him. They were all dumbfounded and began to ask one another, 'What is this? A new kind of teaching? He speaks with authority. When he gives orders, even the unclean spirits submit.' The news spread rapidly, and he was soon spoken of all over the district of Galilee." Mark 1:23-28.

Please notice the accusation of the demon who was speaking through this possessed man. He was accusing Christ of coming to earth, as the Holy One of God, to destroy the fallen angels. This was the doctrine of the evil spirits right from the beginning of Christ's ministry. And it fits in with the theme of Satan's slanders and accusations from the beginning. His argument went like this: "God is a dictator and a dangerous person. He controls His creation through laws and if you do not agree with Him He will kill you. Even His creation is dangerous and the proof of it is that there is the tree of 'knowledge of good and evil.' And if you try to eat of this fruit to know the truth then you will die." In Matt 8:29 we also read of two violent, devil possessed men who lived in a grave yard. Everyone in the area were terrified of them. But notice what they said. "And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come here to torment us before the time?" Matt 8:29. So, not only had the demons been brainwashed by Satan to believe that Jesus had come to destroy them but that he would also torment them before they died. And that God had set a time for this to happen but that Jesus had come before the time appointed. Once again we see this idea that God destroys and torments people is a "Doctrine of Devils."

For centuries now this false doctrine has been one of the main teachings of the Christian religion, i.e. that God not only destroys but that He also punishes and torments people during their life times with sickness, disease, accidents, calamities in nature of various kinds. It has been the dedicated purpose of God's Last Call ministries since the fall of 1976 to teach that God Does Not Hurt and Destroy. That He has never hurt or killed anyone. And the Lord has blessed this message abundantly for the last 29 years. And I believe that this is the message which will vindicate God's character and be the means of changing our hearts, minds and character into the very likeness of the Father Himself, for His name will be in our foreheads, Rev. 14. And this is what the angels and saints in heaven are shouting about as we have read in Rev 12:10.

This "Loud Voice" announcing the victory of Jesus Christ and His Christos or anointed takes place in the very last segment of time. In fact, it will happen in this final age or eon in which we are now living, at the close of the first 3 ½ years of a seven year period which will mark the close of this earth's history. The close or end of this 7 year period will also usher in the Millennium, a time period of 1,000 years. Dan 12:10 predicts that the "Wise" will understand what is going on but the wicked will not. In Luke 21:34-36 Jesus counsels us to "Watch and Pray." The Wise are the same as the Elect as you will see in a moment.

At the end of this age Jesus is going to once again say, "It is done." Rev 16:17. The Heavenly Council is convinced because "they loved not their lives unto the death," which indicates they did not change or repudiate their testimony or run away in fear in the face of a death decree, as did Elijah in I Kings 19:1-5. That is why these Watchers, who are intently watching the final events will finally agree that they (the Elect, to begin with) are safe to save and vote for Jesus to come down to this dark and ravaged planet and bring them home to heaven. This will be the first of the first fruits or the Barley who will be translated. Rev. 12:5 calls them "The Man Child." And Rev. 11:3-12 refers to this same group as the "Two Witnesses." There are at least 24 designations in all. The Barley is also the same as the "Elect" of Matt. 24:24, the only ones Satan cannot deceive during the first 3 ½ year period of the last 7 years on this planet. Dan 12:3 & 10 call them the "Wise" who know the real truth of what is going on. In Malachi 3:16-18 the Lord calls this same Elect group "My Jewels or Special Treasure." Zechariah 13:7-9 calls this same group "My Shepherd," because after they are translated and "return," as Malachi 3:18 says (from the Wedding or Marriage Supper of the Lamb) they return to earth with glorified bodies to begin the Wheat Harvest with Jesus at their head, Rev. 19:11-21. The reason this "Little Company" or "Gideon Band" comes back with glorified bodies, shining like the sun, (Matt 13:43) is because they were taken to the Throne of the Father in heaven, Dan 7:13, 14 (compare Psalm 2:6-12 where this same group is referred to as both a King and a Son, Rev 1:6; 20:4; Matt 19:28; I Cor 6:3). You can read more about this in my other books and on my web site at www.godslastcall.org and also in my latest book, "Into the Father's Heart." If you do not have one yet please write or call me and I will be glad to send one to you.

Now, let's talk about the "blood of the Lamb." When theologians make reference to the "blood of Christ" in terms of getting or "being saved" they are referring to Christ's shed blood on Calvary. To them the blood of Christ "paid for our sins." This is called the substitutionary doctrine of the atonement which teaches that Christ died in our place on the cross as our substitute so we could be set free from the penalty of the law which demands the death of the sinner. And the Watchers were there at the cross watching. Did you know that? Did they agree with this particular concept of the atonement? Well, I think they were trying to understand it or figure it out, because we read in I Peter 1:11, 12 that the angels, good and evil both, desire to look into "the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow...things which angels desire to look into." We are also informed that "the worlds unfallen and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the conflict drew to its close. Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of apostasy, watched intently this great crisis in the work of redemption. The powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ's thrice-repeated prayer." DA 693.

Now, let's analyze this statement. Notice that both the good and the evil angels are watching the Son of God as He prays that the cup of death be taken away from Him. With bated breath, as it were, they ALL waited to see what the Father's answer would be to His beloved's Son's request. What does this tell us? Well, first of all, it tells us that the angelic realm do not know the future. And that includes both holy and unholy angels. It also tells us that Jesus Himself was limited in His knowledge of the future. He did not know if the cup would be withdrawn or not. It also clearly reveals that even the good or holy angels did not understand the character of Satan nor the character of the Father or His only begotten Son which we know from DA 758, 759. In John 1:18 we read that "no man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." John the beloved was leaning on Jesus' bosom at the last supper. A synonym of bosom from Roget's thesaurus is "inner nature" and "seat of affection." Webster's defines bosom as "The breast, conceived of as the center of feelings or emotions." In English we would express it as "heart." And so Jesus came from the very heart or bosom of His Father to manifest and fully reveal what the Father is like. And John was willing to absorb more of this knowledge than anyone else during Christ's time on this planet. That is no doubt the reason John was chosen to receive those apocalyptic visions on Patmos.

But that is not the main point I want to make from this text. Notice that the KJV reads "no man has seen God at any time." Almost all other versions say "No one," which would include the angelic realm. So not one single angel could come to this earth to try to rescue the human race by revealing the truth about the Father, because they had never seen Him, let alone known Him. Jesus, the only begotten of the Father was the only one who would be able to reveal the Father to the human race so they might be restored. And in the process of carrying out His marvelous rescue plan He would take us into the Father's Heart with Him. So, this was how the plan of redemption began and its ultimate purpose, which we are going to learn. And this is also the reason the holy angels are so interested in trying to understand Christ's mission and why He was willing to come and give His life for the fallen race. They are students and learners the same as us. But we, as human beings, created in the very image of God Himself have an advantage. Why? Because, our mental and emotional make up is the same as Jesus and His Father, so that once we accept Jesus as our Redeemer and He takes us "Into the Father's Heart," we can know the Father just as well as Jesus knows Him.

According to the Genesis record, the human race was a new order of beings that God created, made in the very likeness and image of the Creator. Therefore, we are different than all other beings in the universe, even the angels, who are the guardians or policemen of the universe. I received an e-mail a few days ago from a friend stating that he believes the holy angels are the good cops and the evil angels are the bad cops for this fallen planet. Although this may seem like a new thought the book of Job supports the idea that Satan and his angels are patrolling or walking up and down the highways of this earth looking for lawbreakers. One psychiatrist, Dr. Scott Peck, wrote about the personality of the fallen or evil angels after his encounters with them. "The notion of sacrifice is totally foreign to it. (He refers to Satan and his demons as "it.") When human beings at an exorcism are speaking in the language of love, it does not comprehend what they are saying. And when they are behaving with love, Satan is completely ignorant of the ground rules." Quoted from "People of the Lie," and also "Into the Father's Heart," pg 161.

The Bible clearly says that "God is love." And Satan and the evil angels have no comprehension of what love really is, in terms of the kind of love Jesus came to reveal. In fact, there is no love at all in the fallen angels. There is only hatred and revenge and every evil trait. But what about the good angels? Although they are not filled with hatred and revenge like Satan and his demons they do not fully understand the love of God, especially the concept of sacrifice and the emotions that are normally associated with that kind of love. But since the cross and through those who fully follow Jesus they are learning about His marvelous grace and love. I just found this quote: "It was a mystery to angels that Christ, the Majesty of heaven, should condescend, not only to take upon Himself humanity, but to assume its heaviest burdens and most humiliating offices. This He did in order to become like one of us, that He might be acquainted with the toil, the sorrows, and fatigue of the children of men." Child Guidance, 346. So, that is why the angels are still trying to figure it all out by watching us here on earth. But if we do not live like Jesus then our witness is not going to be of much help to them.

According to "Desire of Ages," 758 and 759 the holy angels were not able to see the character of Satan until Jesus was put on trial and crucified. I have asked myself many times why it was that the holy angels could not see how evil Satan was in the Old Testament. The prophets wrote down all the terrible slaughters that took place down through the ages. They identified Satan as "the destroyer," in Exodus 12:23 and Psalm 78:49. "Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitations of demons. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed." DA 36. And yet the same author states that in spite of all these terrible things Satan and his angels were doing to the human race the holy or unfallen angels still felt sorry for him. This is truly amazing, to say the least. "Even holy beings had not understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his rebellion." DA 758. So, what did it take to convince them that Lucifer was really, truly evil and to totally reject him for what he truly is, a liar, thief and a murderer? See John 8:44.

It required the very torture and shedding of the blood of the innocent Son of God on the cross. Yes, it was the death of Jesus, also known as "Michael, the archangel" which finally opened their eyes. "His (Satan's) hatred, carried out in the death of the Son of God, placed Satan where His true diabolical character was revealed to all created intelligences that had not fallen through sin. The holy angels were horror-stricken that one who had been of their number could fall so far as to be capable of such cruelty." "Into the Father's Heart," 541 and 5 BC 1149, 1150.

Now, let's stop here for a moment and consider that phrase, "capable of such cruelty." The cruelty Satan manifested toward Michael or Jesus caused them to be horror stricken. Yet, the cruelty that Satan had manifested toward the human race and the animal kingdom did not seem to bother them very much. Notice this statement. "Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's notice. Satan's hatred against God leads him to hate every object of the Saviour's care. He seeks to mar the handiwork of God, and he delights in destroying even the dumb creatures. It is only through God's protecting care that the birds are reserved to gladden us with their songs of joy." DA 356, 357. Now, surely the holy angels saw Satan destroying these dumb, innocent animals right from the beginning and perverting the creation by causing thorns and thistles to grow out of the ground. And yet, right after Adam fell "the Lord God" is said to be the one who "cursed" the ground," Gen 3:17. So, is it possible that the holy angels thought that sometimes God Himself was cursing and destroying His own creation and that Satan told everyone he was just "helping God out by doing the same thing?" Yes, it would seem possible because even in heaven Lucifer was able to deceive one third of the angels into following him, Rev 12:4.

In order to further understand this issue let's go back to Dr. Peck's statement that the angels he encountered did not understand the language or meaning of love or the concept of sacrifice. One could say, "Well, these are the fallen angels. So, that is why they don't understand the true meaning of love." And I grant that this explains it to an extent. But we just read that until the Son of God was treated cruelly and crucified the holy angels nor the unfallen worlds had not fully rejected Lucifer or his angels in spite of all the crimes they had been committing against God's creation and the human race. In other words they did not feel sorry for us like they did for Jesus. In fact, they still sympathized with Lucifer. Listen: "It (the crucifixion) caused the angels to shudder with horror, and severed forever the last tie of sympathy existing between Satan and the heavenly world....every sentiment of sympathy or pity which they had ever felt for Satan in his exile, was quenched in their hearts." IFH, 541, Ibid. Now, let us think about that for a moment. Before the cross the holy angels had sympathy and pity for Lucifer but after the cross they have none. What does that tell you? Well, it tells me that they do not believe nor do they have any desire at all to see Lucifer (Satan) brought back or restored. I truly find that amazing. I well remember the struggle that I myself had in accepting the concept of Universal Restoration, especially the reconciliation of Satan and his angels.

So, I can understand and sympathize with the good angels on this point. Hopefully, some of the holy angels are watching and learning from us about this concept. But it may take the entire 1,000 years of the Millennium to convince all of the angels and unfallen worlds that it is possible to bring Satan and his angels to true repentance so they can be restored. Evidently the reasoning and thinking processes of the unfallen worlds and the holy angels are very different than human beings. The angelic realm and the unfallen worlds may be more analytical than emotional, perhaps like Spock on Star Trek. He had a hard time understanding and dealing with human emotions. Everything to him had to be logical or he could not accept it. As far as the "facts" about the human race Satan has a very good case against us. Our track record is terrible in comparison to the perfect track record of Jesus, our example.

"While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors. The great deceiver has sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence in God, to separate themselves from His love, and to break his law. Now he points to the record of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to Christ, which has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins that he has tempted them to commit, and because of these he claims them as his subjects. Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands...Christ will cloth His faithful ones with His own righteousness, that He may present them to His Father 'a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.' Eph 5:27. Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written: 'They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.'" Rev. 3:4. Jesus is the Son of God, and the creator of the angels. So, they respect and believe and support Him in His efforts to redeem us. "All power is given to Me in heaven and earth." Matt 28:19, 20. The word power also means authority.

My conclusion is that the angels and unfallen worlds must have believed that we deserved whatever Satan was allowed to do to us. And that the Father had even appointed Satan to do many of the things that he was doing. Psalm 17:13 calls the wicked, "My sword." He also claims to "create good and evil" as well as "the light and darkness." Isa. 45:7. He even says "I have created the waster to destroy." Isa. 54:16. And so, without fully knowing or understanding his true function in the "Great Controversy" between good and evil Satan is being used to not only fulfill prophecy but to accomplish God's ultimate will for the universe. This truly is a mystery we must pray earnestly to understand.

But from the very beginning the Father has always been taking the blame so the angels and unfallen worlds must have thought that the Father was, at least sometimes, hurting and destroying His own creation. In addition to that the angels are said to be the ones who gave the law, Gal 3:19. So, obviously their idea of trying to bring man back into favor with God was to help the human race to obey the law.

One can read in the SOP where angels are said to be "disgusted" with some people and turn away from them. 5 T 270. Also, SOP Index under Angels: 7. Displeased, disgusted, caused sorrow. Disgust is a strong word we use when something is so very offensive it really turns us off. We know that Jesus loves each of His creatures so much that no matter what He never leaves us or forsakes us. We know this from the cross when He asked the Father to forgive everyone responsible for crucifying Him. But the angels are a different order of beings. So, the only way that I can explain these statements is that there may be some angels who are more sympathetic than others toward us. Furthermore, if the angels have free will then it stands to reason that some of them have advanced in their understanding and character growth faster than others.

There surely must be a lot of dialogue and discussion among the angels, good and evil, about what is going on down here on this ravaged planet. I think that we have had sort of a cookie cutter idea of the angels. In other words, that they were all of the same exact mind and emotion and that they were all equal in intelligence and understanding and sympathy. Well, they do have sympathy, as we just read. Beyond this, it is still a mystery to my mind as to why the holy angels would feel sorry for Jesus getting beat up and tortured but not for the human race. I can only surmise that they felt Jesus did not deserve to be treated that way because 1. He was the Son of God and 2. He never broke the law.

Let me share with you another author's thoughts on this matter. "Let us consider the angels, all created equal. What would develop them morally and spiritually? Exercising the power of choice was one of the methods. What would they have to choose? Choose God and realize to some extent what it would be if they refused God and chose themselves. As they continued in this path their lessons would become more complex. All would progress, some more than others (errors of judgment are not sins), and those who made the greatest progress became the greatest angels, and those who made the least progress were the smaller angels. God is no respecter of persons, and He made them all equal at first. Those that appropriated more of God became stronger and stronger. In this way some of the angelic beings became greater than others and had positions nearer to God. They continued by communion and the power of choice, just as the Lord Jesus Christ was developed when He came down here--and how wonderful He became! One of the greatest was a good angel, he was not called "Satan" then, for Satan means "adversary." When Satan advanced he began feeling how great he was, he chose himself before God; and all those he influenced fell with him. God foresaw that--the disruption of His plan and the entrance of evil; and his marvelous power and wisdom were sufficient, and so He had the redemption prepared in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen something of sin and its cause and we know something of its consequences, and the cure is the Lord Jesus Christ. Evil in its nature was not eternal in the past, therefore it cannot possibly be eternal in the future." "Is Hell Eternal or Will God's Plan Fail?" pg 129, 230, by Charles H. Pridgeon, 1920.

Now, let's talk about the sacrifice that became necessary in order to cure the sin problem Lucifer and his fallen angels caused. The traditional doctrinal conception or understanding in regard to the "blood" of Christ is that it was necessary in order to satisfy God and His law. Someone's blood must be shed and someone must die to pay the debt. That is the theory. My question is this: If the blood of Jesus "paid for our sins," then that should be the end of it. A debt is either paid or forgiven. Which did God do? He forgave us of our sins. But is that the end of it? Is there more to understand about the real reason Jesus had to shed His blood in Gethsemane, at His trial and on Calvary? That is the question we need to ask, because I believe there is a great deal more to understand about the blood of Christ. For example Paul tells us that the "death" of Christ is what reconciles us but it His life that saves us. Rom 5:10. And remember what Jesus said in John 12:32? "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." The word men is in italics because it was not in the original text. It was added. The cross drew all the universe to Jesus in order to educate them about God's eternal love. "Our little world is the lesson book of the universe." Desire of Ages, 19. In I Peter 1:10-12 we read that both prophets and angels have inquired and searched diligently about the plan of salvation, especially in regard to the sufferings of the Son of God and the glory that followed. "Things which angels desire to look into." vs 12.

We have assumed that the angels already know everything there is to know about God. But this has been a wrong assumption. Throughout the book "Desire of Ages," the author often writes about how the angels were amazed at the sufferings of Jesus. This includes the evil angels as well, even Lucifer. "He (Satan) trembled at the angel's message attesting the authority of the newborn King. Satan well knew the position that Christ had held in heaven as the Beloved of the Father. That the Son of God should come to this earth as a man filled him with amazement and with apprehension. He could not fathom the mystery of this great sacrifice. His selfish soul could not understand such love for the deceived race. The glory and peace of heaven, and the joy of communion with God, were but dimly comprehended by men; but were well known to Lucifer, the covering cherub. Since he had lost heaven, he was determined to find revenge by causing others to share his fall. This he would do by causing them to undervalue heavenly things, and to set the heart upon things of earth." DA 115, 116.

Now, let's go to another "amazing" quote regarding the angels and how they have been learning from the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan. "To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, 'It is finished,' had a deep significance. It was for them as well as for us that the great work of redemption had been accomplished. They with us share the fruits of Christ's victory. Not until the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds. The archapostate had so clothed himself with deception that even holy beings had not understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his rebellion....He had been the highest of all created beings, and had been foremost in revealing God's purposes to the universe. After he had sinned, his power to deceive was the more deceptive, and the unveiling of his character was the more difficult, because of the exalted position he had held with the Father." DA 758, 759.

From the very beginning Satan has sought to destroy faith in the Law of God in order to establish his own kingdom with his own rules and regulations. Why? So, that he might receive the worship that is due only to the Creator. He especially hated the Son of God whom the Father said was to be worshiped the same as Himself. And when this earth was created Lucifer knew that the children of the Most High, Adam and Eve, and all of their descendants would be equal to the Son of God. This meant that they also would be worthy of worship the same as the Son of God, their father. That is why he devised a plan to deceive and trick Adam and Eve into doubting God's goodness, perfection and love so as to break their connection with the throne of God and fall into the same dark shadows of fear and unbelief where he dwells.

The fall of Adam and Eve into the dark pit of sin is what eventually caused the Son of God to come into this world as a baby and grow up the same as we do so that He would know of our plight and learn how to minister to our needs, lift us up and deliver us. This is what led to His farce of a trial, scourging, beating and crucifixion. But this is what it took to break the hearts of the holy angels and to open their eyes. And eventually it will do the same for every created being who has ever existed on every planet in the universe.

If Satan could have caused Jesus to sin even by even a word or a glance in a negative fashion or by agreeing that the human race was hopelessly flawed and beyond redemption, then His mission would have failed and the devil would have been the victor. All the Satanic forces of the universe were allied against Christ as He hung on that cruel cross. And yet all the mocking taunts and loathsome speeches failed to cause Jesus to reject the objects of His care. "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." His fiery love was forever and could not be quenched. Song of Solomon 8:6. Finally, after six long hours the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. This was the only person who believed in Him as the Messiah but it was enough according to the law and the Heavenly Counsel at that same moment voted that Jesus had won. See Deut 17:6; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; I Tim 5:19; Heb 10:28. Furthermore, in John 8:17, 18 Jesus said that His Father was one witness and He was the second. And now He had a third. It was more than enough. The angel messengers winged their way down to the cross with the speed of thought and the lights came back on. When the darkness lifted Jesus immediately knew that His father's throne was secure and realizing that He had won He cried out, "It is finished," and gave up the ghost. Luke 23:39-46.

By putting Christ on trial and leading His own creation to crucify Him Satan exposed himself to the universe as the monster he had become. "Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted." Desire of Ages, 76. Please notice the word "restricted." Satan had lost in his efforts to defeat Christ but he had not yet lost total control over the human race because he had led most of them to believe that Jesus was a false Messiah. Yet, on the resurrection morning Jesus would rise from the dead and ascend to His Father's throne to receive the keys of the kingdom and the rich gifts from His Father that His few followers would need to begin their journey toward the kingdom. We today are the inheritors of those gifts as the final scenes of this conflict draw to a close in this age.

But as far as the holy angels and the unfallen worlds were concerned, Jesus had convinced them that Satan's lies about Him and His Father and His law were false. "Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ's brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken." DA 761.

Please notice that word "sympathy." Even though Satan had been doing his very best to destroy the human race the holy angels still felt sorry for him. That is what sympathy means. But, why? It must have something to do with the way their mind and feelings work. Obviously they are law oriented, left brain dominant, and very logical with much less emotion than human beings. Jesus kept the law perfectly and was totally innocent of all the charges Satan brought against him. Nothing Satan said against him or tried to do to him made any sense at all. It was totally illogical.

But not so with the human race. Almost all of his accusations against us have a basis in fact and are logical. We are not good law keepers of the letter of the law at all, even when we strive to be. Our attitudes, spirit and motives are almost always selfish and self-centered. If Jesus is the example we must follow then Satan, as far as the angels are concerned, has a good argument against us. That is why he is constantly trying to tempt us to believe that there is no hope for any of us. And that is the very reason why, at the end of time, a final test is coming which will separate the men from the boys, as they say, the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. And in preparation for that final test the Father has been revealing Himself century by century, decade after decade, little by little through His word the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, as well as many testimonies of godly men and women. But beyond this the Father has also been revealing what can happen when human beings, created in His very likeness and image go into His heart. They are transformed into the very likeness of His only Son and Himself. This is what will finally convince the holy angels and unfallen worlds that we are safe to save.

I received an e-mail from a friend a few weeks ago in which he stated that Jesus had to do "an end run around the angels," in order to reveal the truth about the Father, and Lucifer, to the holy angels, as well as to the unfallen worlds. He also stated that the fallen and unfallen angels acted as both guardians (holy angels) and policemen (evil angels) in enforcing the law. Satan's angels do not protect us. They only try to hurt and destroy us. But Paul tells us that the angels were involved in the giving of the law at Sinai. He did not specify whether these angels were evil or good, as in other places, such as Psalm 78:49. But notice what Paul says about this law that was given in a codified form at Mt. Sinai. "What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed (Jesus, Gal 3:17) should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one." Gal 3:19, 20. The NAS reads: "having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator...Now a mediator is not for one party only: whereas God is only one."

Now, let's see if we can understand this more clearly. Who are the parties involved in the giving and receiving of the Law at Mt. Sinai? God is the giver and Israel was the receiver, Moses acting on their behalf. But there was someone else at Mt. Sinai who was making a lot of noise with lightning, thunder and darkness. Exodus 19. In Hebrews 12:18 Paul contrasts Mount Zion with Mount Sinai. And in Gal 4 Paul contrasts the two covenants using Hagar, the bond servant wife and Mt Sinai (the covenant of bondage) with Jerusalem, the true mother of us all, He says. But who is the party crashing noise maker at Mt Sinai?

Well, of course, it was the prince of darkness himself. And so, Satan was allowed to insert himself into the equation and to be the go between or the mediator of this Law of Ten Commandments and later, in other places as well, where Moses detailed out the requirements of the sacrificial system. See Exodus 24; Isa 1:10-12; Isa 66:1-4 and Jere 7:21 which clearly teach that the animal sacrifice system was not given, required or spoken by the true Lord at Mt. Sinai or any other time in history before or after Mt Sinai. And the proof is that Paul says the law was added "because of transgressions, till the Seed should come."

And when Jesus came the law of sacrifices and ceremonies were abolished and the sanctuary service in the Temple at Jerusalem was ended. If the true God had given that law of sacrifices in the first place it would have continued on to this day because God never changes. Everything He does is perfect so He does not have to end or abolish what He created and start all over again. That is not the way our perfect Creator operates. But He does permit Satan and evil men to make certain things, according to their mind and will, and these works always come to an end because they were not the perfect will of God in the first place. But the Lord allowed them in order to teach the human race that only His perfect will and works last forever.

And so, it was that the curtain was ripped from top to bottom signifying that it was no longer needed because Jesus now had become our high priest to whom we could go with no veil between us to hide His beautiful face. Heb 4:14-16. But what about the Ten Commandments? Were they also abolished? No, they were not nullified like the sacrificial system. Instead they were expanded and made even clearer as Christ declared in Matt 5:17-19 that He had come to do. Jesus did this by giving the law its true spiritual meaning. For example, He showed that the law forbidding adultery included what a person thinks in his or her heart. Because if a person looks with lust upon another he or she has already broken the 7th commandment. Same thing with the 6th one. If you hate your brother you have already committed murder. In regard to this law in stone Paul tells us that "the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of that which is abolished." The NKJ reads, "at the end of what was passing away." 2 Cor 3:13. Another word that could be used would be "fading" away which is what Paul says happened to the glory or light on Moses' face when he came down from the mountain after talking with the Lord Jesus. But it was not the law, per se, or in and of it self, that was abolished (KJV) or that faded away, but it was the "Glory" of the law in stone that faded away and thus was abolished. It is the same as the glory of the Model T Ford which was abolished or faded away in the glory of the later models.

And so it is as we look into the glorious, unfading light of Jesus' beautiful countenance that we see the real truth about our Heavenly Father. In a true love relationship there are no rules and regulations, per se, because when you truly love someone you do not need a law or rule to force you to treat that person kindly and with love and respect. And so it will be, that in heaven there will be no need of any "no smoking" signs because no one will have any desire to smoke. The law will be written in everyone's heart.

It was Lucifer who told the angels that God had a law by which he ruled and controlled all of his creatures. The holy angels were surprised. "When Satan rebelled against the law of Jehovah, the thought that there was a law came almost as an awakening to something unthought of. In their ministry the angels are not as servants, but as sons. There is perfect unity between them and their Creator." "Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings." Page 109. It was true that there are laws by which the Creator runs the universe. The law of gravity is but one example. This is a physical law, for us at least, in this world. But there are also moral laws which have to do with relationships which the Creator put into the hearts of each of His creatures. Paul explains this in Rom 2. "When Gentiles who do not possess the law carry out its precepts by the light of nature, then, although they have no law, they are their own law, for they display the effect of the law inscribed on their hearts." Rom 2:14, 15. But up until Lucifer's rebellion there was no codified or written law. The only reason Lucifer brought this out into the open was so he could be the only one to interpret and enforce the law against all who disagreed with his interpretation of it. So, even though the holy angels had not fallen into sin, like Lucifer and his followers, they did not fully understand the nature of his rebellion. But as far as that goes even Lucifer did not understand the enormity of his rebellion and what the consequences would be to himself or to his angel followers and the human race, let alone to the Son of God, because we just read that he was shocked and amazed that Jesus would lower Himself to take on a body of flesh and come to this dark world. He could not understand the motive or the purpose of such a sacrifice. Nor did the universe. Only the God family understood. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." I Cor. 2:7, 8.

So, what didn't they understand? They did not understand the love of God which is part of the "hidden wisdom." And evidently there was no other way for them to learn this hidden wisdom except through the Great Controversy which has been raging now for over 6,000 years. And our little world is the focal point of it all, the lesson book for the whole universe. DA 19. Jude 6 tells us that "Angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting (age lasting) chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

Question? Was there any other way to learn this hidden wisdom? Actually, there are two ways. First, there is the hard way to learn and second, there is the easy way to learn. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light," Jesus said. Matt 11:28-30. The holy, unfallen angels chose the easier way and the rebellious angels chose the hard way. But that was their choice because each of us have been created with free will. And the Lord never judges anyone without giving them all the evidence they need to make the right choice and enough time to make that choice.

I found a most interesting verse in Job 4:18 which seems to be speaking about the choice of the angels. "Behold, he put not trust in His servants; and his angels he charged with folly." Job 4:18. This is Eliphaz the Temanite speaking to Job about how great God is and that even the angels do not know everything there is to know about the Almighty. If you look up the word folly in the Old and New Testaments you will find a large variety of definitions which include being a braggart and trying to out shine others. Strong's 8417 says that it implies "fatuity." Webster's defines fatuity as "complacent stupidity." Fatuous means to be foolish or inane in an unconscious, complacent manner. In the New Testament the word for "folly" literally means, "without understanding or senselessness." Random House's Thesaurus includes "imprudence, mistake, indiscretion." My question about the definition of the word "folly" from Job 4:18 is whether it can be applied to the unfallen angels as well as the fallen? If the word "folly" could be defined to include " unintentional error" in thinking and reasoning, based on a lack of or incomplete data then I believe that it could apply to the unfallen angels because they were sympathetic with Lucifer before the cross because Lucifer's true character had never been revealed until Christ was born into this world.

We definitely know that the word "folly" applies to the fallen, evil angels who followed Lucifer in his rebellion against the Father and His Son Jesus. They had the same proud, stubborn, angry and unloving spirit as Lucifer. And yet at the cross Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them for they do not know or realize what they are doing." This then makes their folly a sin of ignorance based on a lack of understanding, which can be forgiven. Someone may say, "but Satan knew what he was doing. He had no excuse." Jesus would not agree. He is willing to forgive and forget. But Lucifer will have to go through a very long period of punishment and discipline in order to fully educate him before he can be reconciled and restored. But the Bible is very clear about the fact that even Lucifer and his angels will eventually bow and worship before the throne of God. I have given proof for that in past issues of this paper and my books so we will not go over it again at this time. My purpose in this article is to reveal the shocking truth that even the holy angels did not fully understand what was wrong with Lucifer as we shall see more fully as we go along. And this is another reason why the Great Controversy has continued on for so long. The universe has not yet been convinced that we are safe to save.

Now let's read Dan 10:21. Gabrielle is speaking to Daniel. "But I will show you that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince." In the original Hebrew the phrase "hold" means to clasp hands in agreement on a matter. It means to join together in agreement to carry out a mission. And what was that mission? To vindicate the character of the Father and also to redeem the human race. But we just read that it was not until Jesus came and allowed Satan and evil men to bloody Him up that the angelic realm and unfallen worlds finally were enlightened as to the true motives and character of Lucifer. That to me is truly mind blowing. In Dan 10:20, 21 we read: "He said, 'Do you know why I have come to you? I am first going back to fight with the prince of Persia, and as soon as I have left, the prince of Greece will appear: I have no ally on my side to help and support me, except Michael your prince. However, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. Here and now I will tell you what is true:" Compare Proverbs 8:22-31 where Gabrielle, under the appellation or title of Wisdom reveals that she was "at His (Michael's or Christ's) side each day." vs 30, NEB. Let me share with you a quote which started me on my research on this topic of the feminine image of God, the Shekinah Glory. "The angel of mercy was then folding her wings to step down from the golden throne to give place to justice and swift-coming judgment." DA 578.

We will study Dan 11 at a later time. For the present I want to point out the importance of the word "ally" in vs 21. Gabrielle is telling Daniel that no one in the entire universe understood what was going on enough to ally or support the cause of the Father and the human race but Michael. Who is Michael? He is Jesus Christ. And Gabrielle and Michael are twins, brother and sister and spouses, the co-creators of planet earth. I have given an abundance of evidence for this assertion in past issues of this paper so will not repeat myself here at this time except to say that the counterfeits, such as Osiris and Isis and Tammuz and Ishtar and Apollo and Diana should be enough to prove who they are because each of them were twins, brother and sister and husband and wife. Daniel described Gabrielle as having a "a body ...like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his (her) words like the voice of a multitude." Here is Webster's definition of Beryl, which by the way is a female name: "A colorless, yellowish, bluish, or less brilliant green variety of emerald, the prevailing hue being green." Emerald (green) is also a feminine color and is not only one of the primary colors of the color spectrum but in the rainbow is the outstanding hue of the rainbow itself, as we read in Rev 4:3. "And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Esmeralda and Emily are female names based on this color. Rainbows are part of nature and in the Hebrew language colors and nature are always in the feminine gender. Even in English we refer to our planet as Mother Earth and Mother nature. In Rev 1:14, 15 John's description of Jesus Christ (Michael) is almost identical to that of Gabrielle. Notice: "His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like unto fine brass, as they were burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." Notice that the eyes, feet and voice are identical, like twins. Conclusion. Michael and Gabriel are twins. Compare Proverbs 8 and Song of Solomon 4:8 and 5:1 and 8:1-7. And so Michael and Gabrielle were the only ones who understood who the Father really is and what He is like. And now in the last segment of this age we are also being taken "Into the Father's Heart," so we will know the Father just like Jesus knows Him. This is absolutely necessary and critical in order for us to fulfill our destiny as the Elect during the last seven years of this earth's history. Question: Why doesn't the KJV or any of the versions reveal that Gabrielle was a female being or deity equal to Michael? 1. Because it was not time. 2. It is one of the final mysteries to be revealed. 3. The translators of the Bible were all male and controlled the male dominated patriarchal society in their eras of history. So, it was not in their best interest to translate the feminine gender when it appeared in the text. But now the time has come for us to know the truth and it will no longer be hidden or repressed.

Now, I want to go to another very insightful statement about the angels. Paul tells us that he was granted the privilege of "bringing to light how this hidden purpose was to be put into effect. It was hidden for long ages in God the Creator of the universe, in order that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its varied forms might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the realms of heaven. This is in accord with his age-long purpose, which he achieved in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3:8-10.

When Paul speaks of the "church" He is referring to the mature church of Philadelphia which is another title for the Barley or Elect which will be the first of the first fruits. Because the human race is a different order than all previous life forms, in that we are created in the very image and likeness of the Creator Himself, the Father has chosen us to be His "Jewels" which He is using as a prism through which to show and reveal His glorious character. We are to be His beautiful and glorious rainbow to the universe. This has been a progressive revelation and we are just beginning to understand it ourselves as we enter the final conflict of the ages, even the last seven years.

Now, let us go to the first real recorded test case which was brought before the Universal Council or Heavenly Council or Supreme Court for their consideration. In Job 1:6 the Lord (Jesus) asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" Job 1:6-8. Evidently Satan had been at previous gatherings of this same counsel to point out the sins and shortcomings of the sons of Adam. He had declared that all of them had broken the law and were therefore worthy of death. Up to this time only Enoch had escaped his grasp and proven him wrong. Gen 5:21-24; Heb 11:5; Jude 14, 15.

So, at this gathering the Lord brings up the name of Job as being one of a kind, like Enoch, a sterling example of one who was "blameless and upright, one who fears God and shuns evil." Satan did not dispute this fact. Here was at least one human being he had not been able to lead into sin. None of his temptations had worked with this man. Job had kept the law perfectly. And so Satan took a different approach. He accused Job of having selfish motives. He claimed that the reason Job was serving the Lord so faithfully was because God had richly blessed him. Satan suggested that these blessings be removed so Job's true character could be revealed. "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" The Lord agreed to this test. "So the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." Job 1:12. Even though the story clearly shows that Satan is the culprit who destroys Job's children and property, notice how Satan implies that it is the hand of the Lord who is responsible for all the destruction that followed once the hedge of protection was removed from Job. This is very typical of the Hebrew writers who always held God responsible for what He permitted Satan to do even though the Lord was not directly doing it. Yet, in this first test, Job's physical body was off limits. "Only do not lay a hand on his person." Job 1:12. By allowing this test to take place the Lord was in essence stating that Satan's official position on planet earth was that of a tester of righteousness. On the surface and to all outward appearance the Lord and Satan were working together. So, is it any wonder that the angels and unfallen worlds did not see the true character of Lucifer (Satan)? Notice this statement:

"It was a being of wonderful power and glory that had set himself against God. Of Lucifer the Lord says, 'Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.' Ezek 28:12. Lucifer had been the covering cherub. He had stood in the light of God's presence. He had been the highest of all created beings, and had been the foremost in revealing God's purposes to the universe. After he had sinned, his power to deceive was the more deceptive, and the unveiling of his character was the more difficult, because of the exalted position he had held with the Father." DA 758, 759. I just found another quote which I had not noticed before which gives some insight as to how Lucifer was able to persuade one third of the angels to become loyal to him. Notice: "Lucifer...was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God's dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God's dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone." SR 13. What we should note here is that Lucifer's rebellion did not take place suddenly. No. It happened over a long period of time. On page 14 we read that Lucifer had the authority to call all the angels together to speak to them but "concealing his real purposes he assembled the angelic host." This was Satan's modus operandi from the beginning. He always cloaked and concealed everything he did therefore, even the holy angels were not fully aware of all that he had done, was doing or would do in the future, especially in regard to the way in which he deceived Adam and Eve. We also read that Jesus as the Son of God "had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was the acknowledged sovereign of heaven. His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself." SR 14.

Here is another important difference between the angelic realm and human beings created in the image of God. Once Jesus plants in us His Spirit our minds are re-connected to the throne of God and the Father begins to communicate with us directly the same way He communicates with His Son. In fact, we are all connected up together. On page 18 of SR we read that all the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father, to determine each case. At this time Satan "stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes. God informed Satan, that to His Son alone He would reveal His secret purposes, and He required all the family in heaven, even Satan to yield Him (Jesus) implicit, unquestioned obedience;" SR 18. Here again we see the difference between the nature of God and His Son and the angels. They are two distinct order of beings. Lucifer was not willing to accept that. Lucifer also realized that the Father's plan to create a new world populated with beings created in the very likeness and image of the Father and His son would mean that Lucifer would not be equal to them either. In fact, he surmised that if they were the offspring of the Almighty that he would be required to submit to their authority as well. This thought was more than he could bear and at that point he made his decision to rebel, which he later regretted. Lucifer will eventually have to admit that every single thought he has ever had was known by the Father before he even thought it. In fact, Isa 14 is proof that the Father could read his mind. And yet he still decided to go to war against his own Creator. In spite of this rebellion the Father and Son went ahead with the creation of planet earth. Psalm 8 gives some special insight into God's purposes in creating us. "I cannot understand how you can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him! And yet you have made him only a little lower than God, and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head. You have put him in charge of everything you made; Everything is put under his authority." Ps 8:4-6. LB. This would include the angels and even Lucifer. The KJV says, "a little lower than the angels," but the marginal reading reads "a little lower than God." Heb 1:6 speaks of the angels being commanded to worship Jesus, the only begotten of the Father. As the off spring of the Most High this is also the destiny of the human race, to lead, guide and rule the universe. Lucifer's brilliant mind saw this very clearly and rebelled against it.

The importance of the universal or heavenly council cannot be overstated because God the Father and His Son have chosen them, the holy, unfallen angels, to act as the judges of what is going on here on planet earth. The book of Job is proof of that. At the Calvary event they are the ones who voted in favor of Jesus as He hung on the cross, suffering and dying for us. In the eyes of this world's religious elite Christ's death was demanded to pay a debt. His shed blood paid that debt. But the heavenly council did not vote in favor of the Father because Jesus had paid a debt, because with the Father there is no debt to be paid. The reason the Heavenly Supreme Council voted for Jesus and His Father was because they were finally convinced (left brain) that the Father and His Son were innocent of the charges Satan had been bringing against them from the very first day Lucifer began to spread his rumors and lies about the Divine government. And so Jesus vindicated His Father and Himself by living a perfect life and dying a perfect death, making the sacrifice that had been demanded by Satan himself. However, the charges against the human race still remain. And this is the focus of the final phase of the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan.

What has to happen in order for these charges to be fully answered and dropped or dismissed and the human race vindicated, acquitted and restored? We must come to the same character development and perfection as Jesus, the Son of God. But in order to understand and know His character we must first understand and know how much He loves His entire creation. In order to answer this we need to redefine the gospel according to the Lord's definition. Here it is:

"The gospel is to be presented, not as a lifeless theory, but as a living force to change the life. God desires that the receivers of His grace shall be witnesses to its power. Those whose course has been most offensive to Him He freely accepts; when they repent, He imparts to them His divine Spirit, places them in the highest positions of trust, and sends them forth into the camp of the disloyal to proclaim His boundless mercy. He would have His servants bear testimony to the fact that through His grace men may possess Christlikeness of character, and may rejoice in the assurance of His great love. He would have us bear testimony to the fact that He cannot be satisfied until the human race are reclaimed and reinstated in their holy privileges as His sons and daughters." Desire of Ages, Page 826.

Comment: The above statement clearly outlines our work. It is to share the final message of the gospel with all who will listen. COL 414, 415 clearly tells us what the final message is to be: "...The coming of Christ will take place in the darkest period of this earth's history... 'darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people'; ... At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy and truth. The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to go to the world is a revelation of His character of love."

"These men (Moses & Elijah) , chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of the world, the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview." Desire of Ages 425.

"All souls are mine, saith the Lord, as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son." Ezek. 18:4.

EGW expands upon this idea or concept in the following statement.

"Every human being; in body, soul, and spirit, is the property of God. Christ died to redeem all. Nothing can be more offensive to God than for men, through religious bigotry, to bring suffering upon those who are the purchase of the Saviour's blood." Desire of Ages 488.

When the Samaritans refused Christ a night's lodging James and John were greatly annoyed at this insult. They were very angry at this rudeness and disrespect. So, they reported this to Jesus. "They thought that a grievous wrong had been done Him, and seeing Mount Carmel in the distance, where Elijah had slain the false prophets, they said, 'Wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?' They were surprised to see that Jesus was pained by their words, and still more surprised as His rebuke fell upon their ears, 'Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." DA 487.

For years I have wondered why Elijah was taken to heaven after he had slain the 450 prophets of Baal. And why was David not soundly rebuked for killing so many people? The thought just occurred to me that the Heavenly Counsel had to vote on and approve of Elijah's translation. And, of course, we know that he was translated which means that they had to have voted for it. But why? I believe it was because until Jesus came and lived His perfect life and then was crucified on the cross even the angels must have thought that there was such a thing as "justified killing." So, not only did the Old Testament worthies live and operate under a different system of ethics and codes of law but the angels did as well. But, I don't believe they operate that way now nor do they believe in justified killing. Why? Because of Jesus teachings and His willingness to suffer without retaliation. Furthermore, I do not believe that any angel has ever killed anyone because they obey God's law the same as He obeys it Himself. But it is possible that in the OT they may have believed that God was justified in killing human being because the Lord was always taking the blame for it. Until the death of Christ this was not made clear to them, as we have already read. Notice this statement: "Angels are sent from the heavenly courts, not to destroy, but to watch over and guard imperiled souls, to bring the straying ones back to the fold." R & H, May 10, 1906.

Then there is this statement which proves that God never uses force:

"It is no part of Christ's mission to compel men to receive Him. It is Satan, and men actuated by His spirit, that seek to compel the conscience. Under a pretense of zeal for righteousness, men who are confederate with evil angels bring suffering upon their fellow men, in order to convert them to their ideas of religion; but Christ is ever showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love. He can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love. There can be no more conclusive evidence that we possess the spirit of Satan that the disposition to hurt and destroy those who do not appreciate our work, or who act contrary to our ideas." DA 487.

On Jan. 5, 1849 the servant of the Lord wrote about the sealing from pages 36 to 38 of "Early Writings." Without a change in date the next section is entitled "God's Love For His People." She speaks of the angels that guard over the saints. They carried messages to Jesus in heaven regarding their spiritual condition. Different angels were sent to encourage them but if they did not respond the angels would look sad and weep. But if the saints responded by giving glory to God and praising Him the angels would play on their harps and sing with a loud voice, "Alleluia!" On pages 39 and 40 EGW writes about the "other worlds" which would be the unfallen inhabitants in outer space. They were of all sizes, noble, majestic and lovely and bore the express image of Jesus. When asked why they were so much more lovely than earthlings the reply was: "'We have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth.' Then I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the city. The fruit of both looked beautiful, but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. (This would be the forbidden tree) Then my attending angel said to me, 'None in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat, they would fall.'" Early Writings, pg 40. There is a statement which says there is a tree of knowledge of good and evil on every planet but no one has ever eaten of it. During the millennium Satan will be "limited alone to the earth, he will not have the privilege of ranging to other planets, to tempt and annoy those who have not fallen...I heard shouts of triumph from the angels and from the redeemed saints, which sounded like ten thousand musical instruments, because they were to be no more annoyed and tempted by Satan and because the inhabitants of other worlds were delivered from his presence and his temptations." EW 290.

Now let us go back to EW 40 and look at a final statement re: the millennium and the 144,000. "I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, 'You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God."

Although I have read the above quotes many times it never struck me until yesterday the significance of this angel's words regarding the "Forbidden Tree," i.e. that if the inhabitants of the other worlds were to eat of the that Forbidden Tree, they would fall, like Adam and Eve fell. What do I mean? That this angel, and I would presume, all the angels, still believed, at least at the time this angel spoke to EGW, that the true God is the one who forbade Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge of Good & Evil. Now, why would the holy angels believe that this tree was off limits or forbidden? No doubt they were informed that Adam and Eve had to be tested and Satan would be allowed to test them. They also must have been told that the Garden of Eden was the testing ground for the unfallen pair. But what they were not told is that Satan would be allowed to claim to be the true God and speak to them as if he truly were God. Why do I say that? Because the idea that God had prohibited Adam and Eve from eating of one of the trees is still believed to this day, by the holy angels as well as the unfallen worlds, as we just read.

The question I have is this: When did God place a tree of knowledge of good and evil on every planet in the universe? The answer is that He didn't. So, how did they come to believe that one of their trees was off limits? It had to have happened sometime before Adam and Eve fell, possibly before they were even created. In order for the unfallen worlds to believe this lie it would have had to have happened before Lucifer left heaven. It must have happened about the same time that Lucifer told the angels that God operated the universe by codified law. The angels were shocked to hear this. See MB 109. Lucifer was the messenger to all the planets so naturally he could have told the whole universe that one of the trees was off limits and if they ate of it they would die. He may have told them that this was a "Loyalty Test." This was how he introduced the fear of death in the first place. And he found that it worked. The fact that not one person has ever eaten of these forbidden trees and that the angels themselves believe it until this very day is proof that they believe the lie Satan told Adam and Eve in Eden about God's creation and it clearly demonstrates the power of this lie.

If you read through the first two chapters of Genesis you will notice that there are two versions of the creation story which basically disagree and contradict each other. In the first version all the trees are said to be good and they all belong to Adam and Eve. But in the second version there is one tree which is forbidden. If Satan was able to deceive one third of the original angels then why would we think that after he left heaven that he would all of a sudden start being honest and do everything above board? Remember that we just read that on page 14 of SR that Lucifer concealed his real purposes even before he left heaven. Everything he did from the time he left heaven to this moment has been a calculated deception. And yet even the holy angels were not able to discern his real purposes. Only the Son of God, Jesus, was the first person who was able to expose Lucifer (Satan) for what he truly was... "A liar and a murderer." John 8:44. That is the way he is able to stay in control. So, not only would he have to devise a plan that would deceive Adam and Eve, but that deception would also have to deceive his own angels, the unfallen worlds and even the holy angels. And as we have seen he was able to do that by fabricating a lie about God's trees, "planting" on each one of the unfallen worlds a tree of knowledge of good and evil. On this very topic of planting Jesus said: "Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up." Matt 15:13.

Let us once again pull an important clue from the SOP about Lucifer before he fell. "Of Lucifer the Lord says, 'Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.' Ezek 28:12. Lucifer had been the highest of all created beings, and had been the foremost in revealing God's purposes to the universe. After he sinned, his power to deceive was the more deceptive, and the unveiling of his character was the more difficult because of the exalted position he had held with the Father." DA 758, 759.

I asked myself the question: How was it that Lucifer was able to convince the universe that God had sanctioned the idea of a "tree of knowledge of good and evil," on planet earth? We have to admit that it is in Gen 2 even though it contradicts what we read in Gen 1 where the Lord states that all of the trees were good and that they all belonged to Adam and Eve. None were off limits. As I thought about it I began to wonder. At what point in time did the idea of a tree of knowledge of good and evil appear on the unfallen worlds? At this time I believe that Satan, as the "revealer of God's purposes" told both the angels and the unfallen worlds that it was the will of the father to have a "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" on every planet for a test of loyalty. This would have been after he told them that God ruled and controlled the universe by laws, rules and regulations. So, coming from Lucifer, the wisest, most beautiful and most trusted, the first of God's entire creation this "new law" would not be questioned. Nor did the Father contradict Lucifer. Why, because the Creator God, the Father, knew all things ahead of time. He had given free will to all of His creatures and would not take that away from them, even if they chose to rebel against Him. Also remember that Satan did the same thing with the children of Israel. Claiming to be God he gave them many laws which were later abolished when Jesus died on the cross. These included the laws regarding the animal sacrifice law and some of the civil laws such as "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Matt 5"38. Ezek 20:12 calls these the "laws that were not good."

And so when a tree of knowledge of good and evil was planted on every world this set a precedent so that every new world would be tested in the same manner. And we know that it was only on this planet that Eve questioned the "god" behind this law which prohibited her and Adam from eating of the fruit of this tree. But actually, it was not Eve, but the serpent who spoke to Eve telling her that nothing was wrong with the fruit of this tree. But who was that serpent? From the beginning almost everyone has believed that the voice speaking through the serpent was Satan. But not everyone has agreed with this idea. I have explained this in great detail in my latest book, "INTO THE FATHER'S HEART and in other articles and manuscripts as well. If you would like for more information please write to me for proof regarding the Feminine Image of God.

And so, as we have already noted, Lucifer's rebellion began the very day the Father announced that His Son was to be worshiped and obeyed the same as Himself. "The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor." PP 37. Isaiah 14 and Ezek 28 go into much detail about Lucifer's pride and desire for self exaltation. This is what caused him to seek to exalt himself above everyone and to become God himself. And so it was that Lucifer and one third of the heavenly host (angels) left heaven and eventually ended up on planet earth. As soon as Adam and Eve fell a rescue operation was revealed that had been put in place before the world was created. But instead of being thankful for God's love and worshiping Him Adam and Eve's first born son, Cain, killed his own brother. This first crime on planet and all of the evil deeds (bad behaviour) that followed only confirmed Lucifer's original argument that the creation of planet earth was flawed and was not a good idea to start with. And that is why even the holy angels and the unfallen worlds wondered what God would do with this world. "With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should do this, Satan was ready to carry out his plan for securing to himself the allegiance of heavenly beings. He had declared that the principles of God's government make forgiveness impossible. Had the world been destroyed, he would have claimed that his accusations were proved true. He was ready to cast blame upon God, and to spread his rebellion to the worlds above. But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace." DA 37.

And so, Satan had a "plan" from the beginning which he had devised before he openly rebelled. And in every generation he has been carrying out this plan. But through Jesus, the only begotten Son of God the Father has devised a way of escape. The four gospels, the writings of Paul and the other apostles along with the book of Revelation reveal God's plan to help us escape Satan's final trap so that we will be ready when Jesus comes to rescue us. The circle was broken in the beginning by the fear of death which Satan instilled in the angels who followed him out of heaven and down to this earth. And it was the "Fear of Death" that broke the "Circle of Life," for Adam and Eve. But through Jesus we can help Him reconnect humanity back to the Father's throne. He is our ladder up to our heavenly home and the throne of God. And when we all are finally gathered around the throne of God here is what all of God's redeemed and restored creation will be saying:

"Great and marvelous are thy deeds, O Lord God, sovereign over all; just and true are thy ways, thou kind of the ages. Who shall not revere thee, Lord, and do homage to thy name? For thou alone art holy. All nations shall come and worship in thy presence, for thy just dealings stand revealed." Rev. 15:4.

In addition to that quotation let me add this one as well: "God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. 'Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.' Phil 1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor." Desire of Ages, pgs, 224, 225.

May the Lord bless each of us as we strive to learn more about God's plan for each of our lives and the humility to pray each day for the understanding and faith to know and then to follow the Father's will. Thank you for your prayers and support for the ongoing work of this ministry.