- 14 - beforehand and carefully prepared all the details. They know exactly what they are doing and are, hence, even when judged by human laws, subject to the greater penalties, whereas the mass of their followers are judged and dealt with much more leniently. The ringleader in the revolt in God’s spirit kingdom was Lucifer, the ‘light-bearer’, the second son of God, and after Christ the highest and fairest spirit in Creation. What was his aim? He was ambitious: he wanted to be the supreme ruler, being unwilling to occupy a second place, subordinate to a superior. He wanted to take Christ’s place and to reign in his stead. He wanted to usurp his brother’s place. This plan did not come to him suddenly; it matured gradually within him, until his determination became fixed and found consummation in the sin which besmirched this high spirit. • God did not interfere to nip the revolt in the bud and to prevent it by force as He could have done. He leaves His creatures free to act as they choose, just as among men He does not intervene when they begin to plan a crime and prepare for its execution. So, He allowed Lucifer and his fellow ringleaders to proceed and did nothing to hinder them from trying to beguile the higher and more influential spirits and to lure the masses of followers with promises. It was the supreme test to which God desired to put the whole created spirit world, leaving it free to decide whether it would remain true to Christ as its lawful king, or whether it would desert to Lucifer. One of the followers, of whom there were many in all ranks of the spirits, was a prince known in your Bible as Adam, the name he bore as a human being. There were countless princes like him in God’s spirit kingdom, each of them, like Adam, the ruler of great numbers of subjects. Many of the princes became ringleaders to help Lucifer in his preparations for the revolt. Others, of whom Adam was one, merely supported the movement, along with greater or smaller contingents of their adherents. The moment arrived when Lucifer and his party considered themselves strong enough to usurp control of the spirit kingdom, the more so as a large part of Michael’s forces was ready to throw in its lot with them. As is also true of your revolutions on earth, great efforts had been made to win over the army to the side of the rebels. In this, Lucifer had succeeded to a great extent. God had maintained these forces, which were, in a sense, a standing army provided against any possible future need, as you also keep standing armies as a safeguard against sudden emergencies. When the battle began and the spirits had made their choice whether to fight for or against Christ, God intervened. The hour of trial was over. Inner and open desertion had become a fact. And the punishment followed. Prince Michael received orders to overthrow the rebels with the legions that had remained loyal. Armed with the might of God, he carried out the command. Terrible was the fate that now overtook the one-time light-bearer and his chief henchmen. They were banished into the lowest spheres of Creation, into darkness and horror that you cannot imagine. I cannot make the real nature of the
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