Truth Fellowship Live Adult SS Class
February, 2015
Pastor Terry R. Kern
Isaiah 14:12-17
1. Issue: Is this passage speaking of the King of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar or
some other king of the Babylonian Empire)? Or is this passage addressing Satan? In other
words, what is the “identity” of the person named “LUCIFER” in Isa. 14:12?
2. Reasons for: The King of Babylon
a. Passage addresses Babylon (13:1) and the King of Babylon (14:4) directly
b. This ‘individual’ is called a ‘man’ in verse 16
c. Language could be viewed as figures of speech for the fall of a great nation
d. 13:17-22 is clearly speaking prophetically of/to the ancient Babylonian empire
(Medes – V. 17, Babylon – V. 19, Chaldeans – V. 19)
e. 14:1-4a indicate that Israel is comforted in that she will no longer be in captivity in
Babylon
3. Reasons for: Satan
a. Language is far beyond that of a human king (Vv. 13-14)
b. 13:4 speaks of the “Lord of Hosts” waging the battle from “heaven” to destroy the
“whole land.”
c. 13: 6 references the “Nations”
d. 13:7 speaks of the “Whole Earth”
e. 13:9 speaks of “ALL the Kings of the nations”
f. 13:11 speaks of “Sheol”. In fact it pictures the “spirits” in Sheol mocking this one. It
is a picture far beyond that of a fallen king of the Babylonian Empire.
g. 13:6 & 9 are clearly speaking of the “Day of the Lord” and are thus speaking of the
Tribulation Period (future even to our present time)
h. 14:2 indicates that FUTURE TIME is in view because Israel will “RULE OVER” her
oppressors
i. 14:12 indicates that the one addressed is in “Heaven”. This supports the idea of Satan
‘falling’ out of favor with YHWH because of the “I Wills
j. The “I Wills” (14:13-14) are beyond that of a human king
k. !4:15 describes what Revelation 20 predicts will take place
l. The language of 18-23 does not fit with the fall of the ancient Babylonian Empire.
Does fit better with the fall of Babylon of the Tribulation Period (Revelation 17-18)
4. Best to think of the passage as addressing the ancient Babylonian Empire in some places and
Satan and the future Babylonian Empire in others. This definitely fits with Isaiah’s wellestablished pattern of speaking about people and events that we know now to be separated by
great gaps of time but Isaiah sees them in the same plane – sphere of time – speaks of both as
occurring in the same time frame
5. It would be like the more clear passage in Ezekiel 28 where it is more certain that Satan is
being addressed.
6. Ezekiel 28:11-19
a. 28:12 – “were the seal of perfection”, “full of wisdom & perfect in beauty” – speaks
of Satan in his unfallen state – not the king of Tyre
b. 28:13 – speaks of an “Eden” which must have been the “precursor” Eden to the Eden
of Genesis 2 & 3. This would be Satan’s ‘original’ home
c. 12:14 – “anointed cherub” – no man is ever called that (cf. also, 14:16)
Truth Fellowship Live Adult SS Class
February, 2015
Pastor Terry R. Kern
d. 12:15 – describes Satan’s original, unfallen state as one of ‘perfection’. This could be
said of no human being – except for Adam BEFORE the Fall.
e. Three stage fall of Satan are described (14:16-18)
i. V. 16 – fall into sin
ii. V. 17 – fall from heaven – cast out of heaven (Revelation 12)
iii. V. 18 – ‘fall’ into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3) and then FINALLY
in that Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10)See
f. See Luke 10:18
g. Ezekiel 28:11-19 is pretty clearly speaking of/to Satan and not the King of Tyre
7. Revelation 12:1-7
a. Woman = Israel
b. Child/Son is Jesus, The Christ whom Satan tried to destroy when He was newborn
(Matthew 2:16-19)
c. 12:4 – Satan’s rebellion led to 1/3 of the Angels following him in his rebellion against
YHWH.
d. 12:7-9 – Michael the Archangel wages war against Satan and prevails. Satan is cast
down to the earth!
8. Revelation 20:1-10
a. Chained in the pit for 1000 years –
b. Thrown into the Lake of Fire – forever and ever….