CHAPTER 1: "The First Kingdom Fell—Why Did God Allow the Second?"
Understanding Satan's Pattern of Rebellion and God's Sovereignty Over Evil
Opening Prayer:
"Lord, we begin with the hardest question: If You're all-powerful and all-good, why does suffering exist at all? Why didn't You stop after Lucifer's rebellion? Why create again, knowing pain would come? Give us wisdom to understand Your ways, which are higher than ours. Open our hearts to receive truth that may challenge our assumptions about Your character. Help us see that Your allowing suffering does not diminish Your goodness, but rather reveals the depths of Your love and the magnitude of Your redemptive plan. In Jesus' name, Amen."
MAIN TEACHING:
SECTION 1: LUCIFER'S KINGDOM - THE FIRST CREATION
The Beginning Before Our Beginning:
Genesis 1:1 declares: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (ESV). This majestic statement has echoed through millennia, establishing the foundation of biblical cosmology. Yet the very next verse introduces a jarring discontinuity that has puzzled scholars for centuries.
Genesis 1:2 immediately follows: "The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (ESV).
The Hebrew word translated "was" is hayah (הָיָה), which can mean either "was" or "became." While modern translations typically render it as "was," the grammatical construction and contextual evidence suggest "became" may be more accurate. The implications are staggering: if the earth became formless and void, then it must have been formed and full before this catastrophic change occurred.
Something cataclysmic happened between verse 1 and verse 2.
The Hebrew words tohu wa-bohu (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ), translated "formless and void," appear together only three times in Scripture. In Isaiah 34:11 and Jeremiah 4:23, they describe divine judgment and destruction—never original creative intent. God does not create chaos; He creates order. Yet here in Genesis 1:2, we find chaos, darkness, and a watery abyss.
This raises the question: What happened to God's original perfect creation?
The First Kingdom existed. Perfect. Beautiful. Populated by angels. Ruled by Lucifer.
The answer lies in understanding that our world—the Second Kingdom—was built upon the ruins of a previous cosmic order. Before Adam, before Eden, before humanity drew its first breath, another creation existed. This was the domain of angelic beings, presided over by the highest of all created beings: Lucifer, the Light-bearer.
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking under divine inspiration, pulls back the veil on this pre-Adamic world:
Ezekiel 28:12-17:
"You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you... Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So I cast you to the ground..." (ESV)
While addressed to the "prince of Tyre," the description transcends any human ruler. No earthly king has ever been "in Eden, the garden of God" or walked "in the midst of the stones of fire." This is prophetic double reference, where the immediate historical figure becomes a window into deeper spiritual reality.
Isaiah employs the same technique:
Isaiah 14:12-15:
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit." (ESV)
Lucifer ("Light-bearer") was:
The signet of perfection—God's masterwork
Full of wisdom—possessed comprehensive understanding
Perfect in beauty—adorned with precious stones
An anointed guardian cherub—the highest angelic rank
Granted access to God's holy mountain
Blameless until pride entered
His sin: "I WILL" (five times in Isaiah 14)
Yet pride took root. Isaiah records the interior monologue of rebellion:
I WILL ascend to heaven
I WILL raise my throne above the stars of God
I WILL sit on the mount of assembly
I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds
I WILL make myself like the Most High
Five declarations of autonomous self-assertion. Five rejections of God's sovereign authority. Five acts of cosmic treason.
The essence of sin revealed: SELF-EXALTATION. Wanting to BE God instead of worship God.
Here we encounter the fundamental nature of all sin: the creature's attempt to usurp the Creator's throne. Lucifer's rebellion was not born from external temptation. The corruption arose from within, from free will exercised in the direction of self-worship. As Ezekiel states: "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (Ezekiel 28:17, ESV).
This is why pride sits atop every biblical list of sins. Pride was the first sin in the cosmos, predating human history by unknowable ages.
THE JUDGMENT:
Revelation 12:7-9 describes the cosmic war:
"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." (ESV)
Lucifer did not fall alone. He drew a third of the angelic host into rebellion (Revelation 12:4). These became the demons, the principalities and powers that still wage war against God's purposes.
The rebellion was utterly defeated. Despite Lucifer's wisdom and power, he could not stand against Michael and the loyal angels.
Judgment was permanent. "There was no longer any place for them in heaven." Unlike human sin, which can be forgiven through Christ's atonement, angelic rebellion sealed their fate. No redemption is offered to demons. Why? Perhaps because angels, dwelling in God's direct presence, had perfect knowledge and thus sinned with full awareness.
Result: The First Kingdom was DESTROYED.
Genesis 1:2: "The earth became formless and void."
Jeremiah 4:23-26 uses identical language to describe judgment:
"I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking... I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger." (ESV)
This is not creation but de-creation, the undoing of order, the return to primordial chaos. God judged Lucifer's kingdom by reducing it to rubble, covering it with water, plunging it into darkness.
God could have stopped there. He could have said: "Angels had their chance. They blew it. I'm done."
But He didn't.
SECTION 2: WHY DID GOD CREATE AGAIN?
The Question That Haunts Every Theodicy:
If God is omniscient (all-knowing), He KNEW before creating Adam that:
Adam would sin, dragging all humanity into corruption
Suffering would ravage creation—disease, death, natural disasters
Millions would reject Him
Death would reign for six thousand years
He would have to die on a cross to provide redemption
So WHY create the Second Kingdom? Why not stop after Lucifer's fall? Why risk it again?
This question drives many to doubt God's goodness. But it misses three profound truths about God's nature and purposes.
ANSWER #1: LOVE REQUIRES FREE WILL
God's essential nature is LOVE (1 John 4:8).
This is not merely one attribute among many; it defines the divine being. God manifests as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God revealing Himself in different ways throughout redemptive history.
But love—true love—cannot be forced or programmed. It MUST be freely chosen.
Imagine creating an android programmed to say "I love you" every morning. Would this satisfy your need for relationship? Of course not. You would know the android's "love" is executed code, not genuine affection.
Real love requires:
Freedom to choose
Freedom to reject
Risk of betrayal
Possibility of pain
God WANTED beings who would love Him freely, not as programmed machines but as genuine moral agents.
That requires risk.
Lucifer had freedom. He used it to rebel. God could have removed freedom from the Second Creation—designed beings hardwired for obedience. But beings without the capacity to sin also lack the capacity to love.
Instead: God created HUMANS. Also with free will. Knowing the risk. Because LOVE was worth it.
Your capacity to doubt God, even to reject Him, is the same capacity that makes your love meaningful when you choose to offer it.
ANSWER #2: GLORY IS MAGNIFIED THROUGH REDEMPTION
God receives MORE glory through redeeming sinners than He would have from a permanently sinless creation.
Consider two scenarios:
Scenario A (No Fall):
Adam never sins
Humans live in paradise forever
No pain, death, or suffering
God is praised as Creator
Scenario B (Fall + Redemption):
Adam sins; humanity falls
God ENTERS creation as Jesus Christ
He dies on a cross, bearing divine wrath
He rises from death, defeating humanity's last enemy
The gospel goes forth to all nations
God's mercy, grace, justice, wrath, love, and wisdom are ALL displayed SIMULTANEOUSLY
The cross becomes the CENTRAL event of history
Redeemed sinners praise God for creation AND redemption
Which scenario displays MORE of God's character?
Unquestionably, Scenario B.
Without the fall, there would be:
No cross—the supreme revelation of God's love (John 3:16)
No resurrection—the supreme demonstration of power (Romans 1:4)
No gospel message
No mercy displayed—if no one needs mercy, this attribute remains theoretical
No grace demonstrated
No justice satisfied
No forgiveness extended
Paul makes this explicit in Romans 5:20: "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (ESV).
God did not CAUSE sin. But He USES it to display His glory more comprehensively than would otherwise be possible.
The cross reveals MORE of God than Eden ever could.
At Calvary, we see simultaneously:
Perfect justice—sin is punished fully
Perfect mercy—the guilty are spared
Perfect love—God gives His Son (John 15:13)
Perfect wisdom—salvation honors both justice and mercy
Perfect power—death itself is defeated
The redeemed in Revelation sing about redemption:
"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (Revelation 5:9, ESV)
The Lamb receives greater glory than the Creator, because redemption cost more, risked more, and revealed more.
ANSWER #3: THE GREATER STORY IS "GOD REDEEMS" NOT "GOD PREVENTS"
If God's goal were to PREVENT all sin:
He would never create beings with free will
No genuine relationship would be possible
God would exist in eternal isolation
But God's goal is REDEMPTION.
The narrative is not: "God made a perfect world. The end."
The narrative is: "God made a perfect world. Creatures rebelled. But God did not abandon His creation. He promised a Redeemer. In the fullness of time, He entered creation as Jesus Christ. He lived the life we should have lived. He died the death we deserved. He rose victorious. And FOREVER, redeemed beings will worship the Redeemer, marveling that we were lost but now are found."
This is the GREATER narrative. The BETTER story.
Consider eternity for the redeemed. We will not simply enjoy God's presence; we will marvel that we, who were rebels, have been reconciled. "Amazing Grace" would make no sense in a sinless creation.
Jesus's parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son emphasize that heaven rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who need no repentance (Luke 15). Why? Because redemption produces unique joy and worship that innocence alone cannot generate.
SECTION 3: GOD KNEW. HE CHOSE. HE REDEEMS.
Ephesians 1:4 declares: "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (ESV).
Before the foundation of the world. Before Genesis 1:1. God KNEW:
Who would believe and who would reject
Every instance of suffering
What redemption would cost Him
And He created ANYWAY.
This is calculated love. God performed the ultimate cost-benefit analysis and determined the benefit outweighed the cost.
Not because He's cruel—Scripture repeatedly emphasizes God's compassion (Psalm 103:13). He does not enjoy our pain. He weeps with us (John 11:35).
But He sees what we cannot: the end from the beginning.
Isaiah 46:10: "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come" (ESV).
Three truths in tension:
1. The GOAL (eternal love relationship) was WORTH the COST (temporary suffering)
If someone offered you:
Option A: You never exist
Option B: You exist, experience 70-80 years including some suffering, then enjoy eternity with God
Which would you choose? God made that choice for us.
2. The OUTCOME (billions worshiping) justifies the PROCESS (temporary pain)
Romans 8:18: "The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (ESV).
Paul calls it "light momentary affliction" preparing "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17, ESV).
3. The GLORY (redemption) surpasses the ALTERNATIVE (no creation)
If God had chosen not to create:
No gospel, no church, no you, no me
No cross, no empty tomb
Less glory to God
Your suffering is part of that story.
Not because God ENJOYS your pain—He doesn't. But because the PROCESS of redemption requires a fallen world. And in that world, pain exists. But PURPOSE exists too.
APPLICATION:
Your suffering didn't surprise God.
Before you were conceived, God knew:
The abuse you would suffer
The disease you would face
The loss you would endure
The pain you would carry
And He created you ANYWAY.
Not IN SPITE of your suffering, but WITH it, knowing that:
Your suffering would drive you to seek Him (Psalm 119:67, 71)
Your suffering would make you more like Christ (Romans 8:29)
Your suffering would give you compassion for others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Your suffering would ultimately be redeemed (Genesis 50:20)
Your pain is PART of the story. Not the END of the story.
Joseph understood this: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20, ESV).
That's the theme: Taking what's EVIL and transforming it into GOOD.
The ultimate example is the cross—the greatest injustice became the greatest good: redemption of the world.
Your job: Trust the process. Even when it hurts. Even when you don't understand.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Before reading this chapter, had you ever wondered why God created humans after angels fell? What was your conclusion, and has it changed?
How does understanding that "love requires free will" change your view of suffering? Does it help you reconcile God's goodness with the presence of evil?
Does knowing God receives MORE glory through redemption than through a sinless creation help you? Why or why not?
What specific suffering in your life has made you ask "Why me, Lord?" How does knowing God chose to create YOU, knowing your pain, affect your perspective?
Can you trust that God has a REDEMPTIVE purpose for your suffering, even if you don't see it yet? What would help develop that trust?
Romans 8:28 says "God works ALL things for good." What's the difference between "all things ARE good" and "all things BECOME good through God's redemptive work"?
How does the cross—God entering suffering WITH us—change how you view your own pain?
If God had chosen NOT to create the Second Kingdom to avoid suffering, YOU wouldn't exist. How does that reality make you feel?
What would you say to someone who argues, "A good God wouldn't allow suffering"?
Finish this sentence: "Lord, I believe You created me knowing I would suffer. Help me trust that..."
CLOSING PRAYER:
"Father, we're beginning to understand. You didn't CAUSE suffering. You don't delight in our pain. But You ALLOW it, because love requires freedom, and freedom includes the risk of rebellion and brokenness. We don't like the risk. We wish You had prevented the fall and spared us this pain. But if You had, we wouldn't exist. Our lives, our loves, our chance to freely worship You—none of it would be real. And You wouldn't have the cross. The full glory of Your character wouldn't be revealed. So we thank You. Even for the pain. Not because it feels good—it doesn't. Not because we understand it all—we don't. But because we're starting to trust that it serves a purpose. That You waste nothing. That You redeem everything. Help us trust that purpose when we can't see it. Strengthen our faith when doubt creeps in. Comfort us when pain feels unbearable. And remind us always that You entered suffering Yourself, bore it on the cross, and promise to walk through it with us until You wipe away every tear and make all things new. In Jesus' name, who suffered for us and with us, Amen."