Isaiah 14:12

September 15, 2023

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!”

The prophet Isaiah was one of the most influential prophets in the entire Bible. He is considered a major prophet because of the length of the book that bears his name. The book of Isaiah is filled with prophecies of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to the people of Israel. He also prophesied about the enemy as he did in the passage that I am highlighting above.

In order to put this particular verse into perspective we need to take a look at who this “son of the morning” (Lucifer) actually is. The Word of God in Ezekiel 28:12-15 gives us quite a detailed description when the prophet states,

“You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.

“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”

Here we can see from God’s Word in the Old Testament that Lucifer was a beautiful and powerful angel. He had every precious stone that you could think of covering his body and we can conclude that he also had various instruments placed inside of him when he was created. He was one of the Lord’s most perfect creations until he allowed iniquity to cause him to stray away from what God created him to be.

One of the biggest misconceptions about this bright morning star (Satan) is that he is an ugly red creature with horns. As we can see from the Scriptures found in Ezekiel that is so far from the truth. He is so successful in fooling so many non-believers and believers because he has the ability to transform himself into an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:14. What he will do is make you think that he doesn’t mean you any harm and before you know it he has you completely chained and shackled.

Some of the New Testament passages that describe the devil and his wickedness are:

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 John 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

When we take a look at the devil’s intentions and characteristics we can determine that one of his primary goals is to destroy God’s children by any means necessary. He is the destroyer of Nations and you can see his trail of destruction scattered throughout the whole Earth.

Now that we have an idea of the true identity of this “bright morning star” let’s take a closer look at this passage of Scripture found in the book of Isaiah that is giving us the detailed account of the fall of Satan. The words “you are fallen” is the Hebrew word “nāp̄al” which means: to fall, lie, be cast down, and fail. Where was he cast down from? He was cast out of heaven.

There is no mistake about it that Lucifer was thrown out of heaven by the Lord, he didn’t have a choice. One of the most hated character traits that God frowns the most upon is pride, Proverbs 16:5. The reason why is because if your heart is filled with pride, there is no room for Him to work in your life like He wants to. You have to be willing to humble yourself realizing that you can do nothing without Him! Your heart is beating today because He is allowing it to and that is a fact.

Another part of this verse that I want to take a closer look at is the words “O Lucifer” which is the Hebrew word “hêlēl” which means: Lucifer-light bearer, shining one, and morning star. Isaiah also calls him son of the morning or son of the dawn. Again this brings us back to the description that the prophet Ezekiel gave regarding how beautiful Lucifer is.

Another important part of this passage that I want to highlight is when the prophet states “How you are cut down to the ground.” The words “are cut down” is the word “gāḏaʿ” in the Hebrew language which means: hew, hew down, and off. Then Isaiah lets us know exactly how far the devil was thrown and that was all the way to the ground which meant he was cast to Earth versus still being in heaven.

The last part of the Scripture that needs to be looked at is when the prophet Isaiah refers to Lucifer as “you who weakened” (weakener of the Nations) which is the Hebrew word “ḥālaš” which means: weaken, disable, and prostrate. Then Isaiah discloses who the devil weakened “the nations” which is the Hebrew word “gôy” which means: nation and people.

So in other words Isaiah is stating that the devil is the one that weakened, disabled, and leveled the nations of the world. His effect isn’t centralized just in one location; we can see a demonic dark place in every city and in every country no matter where you go. I can tell you that I have seen signs of the devil and his demonic kingdom in places you wouldn’t assume. I have been to several countries and several cities and there are things that I see that let me know that the enemy has a foothold in these places.

The verses that come after the passage found in Isaiah reveal exactly what caused this bright star that went by the name Lucifer to fall from heaven:

Isaiah 14:13-15

“For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.”

We can determine that the fall of Lucifer primarily came because of pride. He wanted to be the one that was exalted above God. Almost every sentence in these passages that describe the devil begins with the word “I”. The Word of God is extremely clear on Who the “I AM” actually is. Exodus 3:14 discloses “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

King Solomon made an amazing point in Proverbs 16:18 when he revealed that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This directly correlates with this verse of Scripture out of Isaiah mentioning how the enemy is the broom of destruction. It comes as no surprise that he is the one that “weakens the Nations” as his mission is to kill, steal, and destroy, John 10:10.

That is why it is so important that you keep the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of your life. Make it a point to study to show yourself approved. God’s people perish because of a lack of knowledge and we are not to be deceived by the devil’s devices. The enemy will make you think that he isn’t real or that he is a hideous looking creature so that he can sneak his way into your life and wreak havoc. Don’t give him that satisfaction!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing