RonJohnSilver
Well-known
I'm reading George H. Pember's 'Earth's Earliest Ages' now and I came across this thought, that possibly there might have been the opportunity for the fallen angels, and even Satan, to repent and be restored. Interesting. That thought had never occurred to me but I want to share his logic and thoughts and see what all of you think. The relevant Bible passages are Psalm 82 and John 12:31 and the Parable of the Evil Husbandmen in Matthew 21. The emphasis and underlining is mine.
Sorry for the length but I want to lay out his complete line of reasoning. Here's the text from the Bible and book...
Psalms 82:1 God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.'
7 But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.
(Pember) The psalm thus falls into four paragraphs, the first of which represents the Almighty as standing among the
angelic rulers of this world, and charging them with their folly. The 'gods' of the second line are angels- in
this case, of course, fallen angels.... In the third and fourths verses we seem to discern a wondrous unveiling
of the love of God. Not only over the fallen race of Adam has He yearned, no, He has offered space for
repentance, and would have shown grace, to the sinning angels also. We are reminded of those
mysterious words which the Lord uttered, just after the voice from heaven had resounded through the
Temple-"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the Prince of this World be cast out!" (John 12) For
it would seem as though the irrevocable decree, fixing the doom of the 'world rulers of darkness' had
only then gone forth, and the ears of the Lord had, as it were, caught the thunder of the closing gates
of mercy, which up to that time had stood open even for Satan and the spiritual hosts of wickedness.
Possibly it was their hostility to the incarnate Son of God which filled up the measure of their iniquity: so that
to them, as well as to the Jews, the parable of the Husbandman might have applied. They had refused
to the great Creator the fruits of His earth which had been committed to their care: they had rejected
merciful pleadings such as our Psalms discloses: and finally, as soon as they saw the Son entering their realm,
they destroyed whatever hope might have remained to them by crying: "This is the Heir! Come, let us kill
Him that the inheritance may be ours."
The fifth verse shows that the Lord had already seen the end. He declares that His remonstrance is vain, they
will not listen. According their sentence follows, and its terms should have prevented that vague
interpretation of the Psalms which has been content to refer it to merely human rulers. Not to those who
are called into existence under mortal conditions are these words addressed, but to beings who from the
earliest hour of their life have rejoiced in the immortality of the sons of God. Nevertheless, because they have
sinned and fallen from their first estate, they also must come under the law of sin and death.
Like the ephemeral children of Adam they shall perish, and fall like one of the short-lived princes of Earth.
This sentence has not yet been carried out: it will be so apparently, when Satan is bound and cast for a
thousand years into the abyss. (END).
So, that's the relevant portions of the text. What do you think? Is redemption, in fact, possible, even now, for
Satan and his hosts? Wow. I'm not convinced but it's an intriguing thought. I'm interested to hear your
opinions.
Sorry for the length but I want to lay out his complete line of reasoning. Here's the text from the Bible and book...
Psalms 82:1 God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
5 They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.'
7 But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.
(Pember) The psalm thus falls into four paragraphs, the first of which represents the Almighty as standing among the
angelic rulers of this world, and charging them with their folly. The 'gods' of the second line are angels- in
this case, of course, fallen angels.... In the third and fourths verses we seem to discern a wondrous unveiling
of the love of God. Not only over the fallen race of Adam has He yearned, no, He has offered space for
repentance, and would have shown grace, to the sinning angels also. We are reminded of those
mysterious words which the Lord uttered, just after the voice from heaven had resounded through the
Temple-"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the Prince of this World be cast out!" (John 12) For
it would seem as though the irrevocable decree, fixing the doom of the 'world rulers of darkness' had
only then gone forth, and the ears of the Lord had, as it were, caught the thunder of the closing gates
of mercy, which up to that time had stood open even for Satan and the spiritual hosts of wickedness.
Possibly it was their hostility to the incarnate Son of God which filled up the measure of their iniquity: so that
to them, as well as to the Jews, the parable of the Husbandman might have applied. They had refused
to the great Creator the fruits of His earth which had been committed to their care: they had rejected
merciful pleadings such as our Psalms discloses: and finally, as soon as they saw the Son entering their realm,
they destroyed whatever hope might have remained to them by crying: "This is the Heir! Come, let us kill
Him that the inheritance may be ours."
The fifth verse shows that the Lord had already seen the end. He declares that His remonstrance is vain, they
will not listen. According their sentence follows, and its terms should have prevented that vague
interpretation of the Psalms which has been content to refer it to merely human rulers. Not to those who
are called into existence under mortal conditions are these words addressed, but to beings who from the
earliest hour of their life have rejoiced in the immortality of the sons of God. Nevertheless, because they have
sinned and fallen from their first estate, they also must come under the law of sin and death.
Like the ephemeral children of Adam they shall perish, and fall like one of the short-lived princes of Earth.
This sentence has not yet been carried out: it will be so apparently, when Satan is bound and cast for a
thousand years into the abyss. (END).
So, that's the relevant portions of the text. What do you think? Is redemption, in fact, possible, even now, for
Satan and his hosts? Wow. I'm not convinced but it's an intriguing thought. I'm interested to hear your
opinions.
