The Bible gives humanity many lessons in righteousness using the approach of learning by example, such as when God rebukes Satan, an angel who is God’s enemy.

Note that God is a Family of three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

In this post, we will look at an instance of God rebuking Satan to, first of all, get an insight into the conflict between God and Satan. Secondly, we will consider the lessons that humanity can learn from God’s rebuke of Satan.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

For our discussion, let us consider a quotation from the Bible. “For promotion [exaltation] cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he [God] putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6, 7.

Now for those who are new to Bible notation, “Psalm 75:6, 7” is a reference to the Bible, which is a collection of books. In the Bible, each book consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. So, the quotation referred to as “Psalm 75:6, 7” is taken from the book of Psalms in the Bible, the 75th psalm (chapter), and the 6th and 7th verses.

Our Bible verses of focus, Psalm 75:6, 7, have at least three applications, namely, to Satan, to the nations on earth, and to every human being.

This should not be surprising because a prayerful study of the Bible will reveal that this one of the means by which God condenses millions of His thoughts in the few pages of the Bible.

Learning by Example: God Rebukes Satan

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [Satan], son of the morning!” Isaiah 14:12.

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” Isaiah 14:13.

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High [God]. Yet thou [Lucifer (Satan)] shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:14, 15) of destruction.

“Let his [Lucifer’s (Satan’s)] days be few; and let another take his office.” Psalm 109:8.

“For promotion [exaltation] cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he [God] putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6, 7.

Unpacking God’s Rebuke of Satan: Pride

Lucifer was the angel with the highest rank in heaven and was holy and perfect in love when God created him. But he rebelled against God, and so he us now “called the Devil, and Satan.” Revelation 12.9.

Why did Satan rebel? Because he was “being lifted up with pride…[which was]…the condemnation [by God] of the devil.” 1 Timothy 3:6.

That is, God says, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD [God]” (Proverbs 16:5), “for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Matthew 11:29.

Therefore, “there was war in heaven: Michael [Christ] and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan…he was cast out…and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9.

So, Satan lost his position in heaven and his place was taken by another angel. Now there is only one other angel mentioned by name in the Bible–Gabriel. It is possible that this is the angel who took Satan’s place in heaven.

Gabriel says of himself, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.” Luke 1:19.

Thus, God says of Himself, “But God is the judge: he [God] putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:7.

Unpacking God’s Rebuke of Satan: The Sides of the North

When Christ returns to the earth the third time, “His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” Zechariah 14:4.

Thus, a valley will be created which is bounded by half of “the mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4) on the north and half on the south.

At that time, God moves His throne to the earth, and it shall be said, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” Psalm 48:2.

We see then that God’s throne on earth will be located on the half of the mount of Olives to the north, called “the sides of the north.” Psalm 48:2. Similarly, God’s throne in heaven was known as “the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” Isaiah 14:13.

So, Satan aspired to set up his throne in heaven in the same place where God’s throne was located. In other words, Satan wanted to dethrone God as Ruler of the universe and to take God’s place as ruler over all the universe.

Thus, God says to Satan, “For promotion [exaltation] cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.” Psalm 75:6.

Clearly, God’s rebuke of Satan meant that He, God Himself, is the One who exalts His subjects, not from the east, west, or south, but from the place of God’s throne on “the sides of the north.” Isaiah 14:13.

Unpacking God’s Rebuke of Satan: The North Star

Now “He [God] hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.” Jeremiah 10:12.

This means that nature itself teaches humanity important lessons from God. In view of this, let us consider the case of the North Star which is visible in the night sky from the earth.

The North Star, also known as Polaris, has the distinction of being a bright star which holds nearly still on the northern sky, and around which the entire northern sky moves. It drops out of the visible sky south of the equator and there is no star like it in the southern sky.

Also, the North Star is visible even when the light of a full moon obscures much of the starry heavens. As such, the North Star has been a blessing to travellers over land and sea throughout the Northern Hemisphere who use it to navigate.

What then does God intend that these facts about the North Star teach humanity? The lesson to be learnt is that God’s throne is like the North Star.

In other words, God’s rule over the universe, His government, His law of love is unchangeable, and is like the North Star. It is an immoveable guide for all the intelligent beings in the universe whom God has created to walk in the ways of love.

To depart from God’s rule, His law of love, is to lose one’s moral direction and to bring upon oneself God’s judgment, which is the annihilation of all who become fixed in the ways of evil. For it is true of God that “there is forgiveness [of sin] with thee [God], that thou mayest be feared [reverenced].” Psalm 130:4.

So, Satan and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) have departed from God’s law of love and instead become fixed in their evil ways. Therefore, they are destined to be destroyed, annihilated, by God.

Learning by Example: God’s Revelation to King Nebuchadnezzar

“And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake [broke] from him.” Daniel 2:1.

“Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew [show] the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.” Daniel 2:2.

“And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.” Daniel 2:3.

“Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack [the Aramaic language], O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew [show] the interpretation.” Daniel 2:4.

“The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.” Daniel 2:5.

So, God gave king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon a dream which the king could not remember when he awoke.

“The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew [show] the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.” Daniel 2:10.

“And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew [show] it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh [human beings].” Daniel 2:11.

“For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:12.

God Reveals the King’s Dream to Daniel

“Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew [show] the king the interpretation.” Daniel 2:16.

“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:17, 18.

“Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:19.

“Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.” Daniel 2:20, 21.

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” Daniel 2:22.

“I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:23.

Daniel Honours God Before King Nebuchadnezzar

“Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.” Daniel 2:25.

“The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?” Daniel 2:26.

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers [fortunetellers], shew [show] unto the king.” Daniel 2:27.

“But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these.” Daniel 2:28.

“As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.” Daniel 2:29.

“But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.” Daniel 2:30.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.” Daniel 2:31.

“This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” Daniel 2:32, 33.

“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote [struck] the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake [broke] them to pieces.” Daniel 2:34.

“Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote [struck] the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:35.

“This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” Daniel 2:36.

Daniel Interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

“Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.” Daniel 2:37.

“And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.” Daniel 2:38.

“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Daniel 2:39.

“And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” Daniel 2:40

“And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.” Daniel 2:41.

“And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Daniel 2:42.

“And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:43.

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Daniel 2: 44.

“Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:45.

King Nebuchadnezzar Promotes Daniel and his Three Friends

“Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation [offering] and sweet odours [incense] unto him.” Daniel 2:46.

“The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.” Daniel 2:47.

“Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:48.

“Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach [Hananiah], Meshach [Mishael], and Abednego [Azariah], over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.” Daniel 2:49.

A Brief Note on Chronology

Note that this year 2020 is properly known as 2020 A.D. Now A.D. is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “Anno Domini” which is translated “in the year of our Lord.”

Thus, 1 A.D. was meant to be the year that Christ was born in human flesh as a baby boy named “Jesus.” Matthew 1:21. Now it was later found that Christ was born in approximately 5 B.C.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: Four Kingdoms

God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar an understanding of the future history on earth by means of a dream.

The image’s “head of gold” (Daniel 2:38) in the king’s dream represented the first kingdom which was the Babylonian Empire and which lasted from 612 B.C. to 539 B.C.

God also said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” Daniel 2:39. This second kingdom was the Media-Persia Empire which conquered the Babylonian Empire and which lasted from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C.

Moreover, God said to the king, “And another third kingdom of brass, which shall [arise and] bear rule over all the earth.” Daniel 2:39. This third kingdom was the Greek Empire which conquered the Media-Persia Empire and which lasted from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C.

In addition, God said to the king, “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” Daniel 2:40.

This fourth kingdom was the Roman Empire which conquered the Greek Empire and which lasted from 168 B.C. to 476 A.D.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: The Last Days

God also said to the king, “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.” Daniel 2:41.

After 476 A.D., the Roman Empire was broken up into the many nations of Europe, and these nations continue up to today in the year 2020.

Furthermore, God says, “They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another.” Daniel 2:43.

This means that all attempts to unify the nations of Europe by the intermarriage of their royal families have failed and will fail in the future.

Lastly, in the prophecy which God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar God said, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Daniel 2:44.

This means that in the days of the nations of Europe, Christ will return to the earth a second time. At that time, God will destroy all the kingdoms of the world and God will set up His everlasting kingdom when Christ comes to the earth a third time.

Learning by Example: God’s Dealings with the Nations

God says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [evil and wrongdoing] is a reproach [reproof] to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.

Therefore, God says, “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” Jeremiah 18:7, 8.

“And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” Jeremiah 18:9, 10.

So then, this is an opportunity for learning by example in that God’s dealings with the nations is no different from His dealings with Satan. That is, the lesson humanity should learn from God’s dealings with the nations is that God rebukes evil nations and removes them from power, but He rewards righteousness.

However, in the case of humanity’s history since the time of the Babylonian Empire and in the future events on earth, God reveals that there has never been and will never be a righteous nation on earth. Therefore, God rebukes all the kingdoms of the earth and will remove from power, destroy them, and set up His eternal kingdom on earth.

“For promotion [exaltation] cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he [God] putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6, 7.

Learning by Example: God’s Dealings with the Individual

God says of humanity, “The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.” Proverbs 10:30.

“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37:10, 11.

“The LORD [God] knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.” Psalm 37:18.

“For such as be blessed of him [God] shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him [God] shall be cut off [annihilated].” Psalm 37:22. “But the transgressors [sinners] shall be destroyed together: the end [future] of the wicked shall be cut off [cut short].” Psalm 37:38.

In other words, “the salvation [the saving by God from eternal death] of the righteous is of the LORD [God].” Psalm 37:39.

“For promotion [exaltation] cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he [God] putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6, 7.

Again, this is an opportunity for learning by example in that God deals with the individual in the same way He dealt with Satan. So, the lesson to be learnt by humanity is that God is the One who exalts the righteous to live happily with Him eternally, but He annihilates the wicked.

Learning by Example: Never Speak Directly to Satan

God says, “Yet Michael [Christ] the archangel, when contending with the devil [Satan] he disputed about the body of Moses, durst [dared] not bring against him a railing [vilifying] accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” Jude 1:9.

Note that Christ, who is God, dared not rebuke Satan Himself but called upon God, the Father, to rebuke Satan.

Also, God says to true Christians, the followers of Christ, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19.

Here God is saying that if we wish to bind Satan and his evil angels, known as demons, we should make our request to God in prayer and, in response, God in heaven will bind these demons on earth.

Here again, God gives us an opportunity for learning by example. Thus, the lesson for humanity is that they should never, never, never, speak directly to Satan.

Follow the examples given in the Bible and leave communication with Satan to God.

Let God Himself rebuke Satan and bind him. To do otherwise, to speak to Satan directly, is not only unwise but also dangerous.

Conclusion

Satan has rebelled against God and His law of love and Satan has exalted himself because of his pride. Therefore, God rebukes Satan and says to him that, as Judge, God is the One who puts down one and sets up another.

God teaches this same lesson to humanity on a prophecy that God gave to king Nebuchadnezzar by a dream. The prophecy outlines earth’s history from the time of the Babylonian Empire until the second coming of Christ to the earth.

Here God is revealed as the One who puts down nations and sets up nations.

There is a lesson from God as well for the individual, in that God rebukes humanity for their wickedness.

God will, therefore, annihilate those people who become fixed in their evil ways, but God will grant eternal life with Him to those who do good.

Now since God is Judge Himself, I urge you to seek for right standing before God and, hence, receive eternal life from God instead of being annihilated by God for your evil ways.

How This Blog Teaches Bible Study

My blog posts take one or more Bible verses and unpack what is often the hidden meaning in them, to help you to gain in your understanding of the Bible, and to receive insights into how to study it. For God says, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15. There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).

Further Reading

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