Sin death and beyond
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SIN, DEATH AND BEYOND: M.M.NINAN<br />
C<br />
FALL OF LUCIFER<br />
There are three main views concerning when Satan’s fall into sin took place.<br />
1. Satan's fall took place in the gap between Genesis 1:1 <strong>and</strong> 1:2 It is usually known as<br />
the "gap theory."<br />
It arises from the statement of the initial condition of creation - namely, tohu wa-bohu,<br />
formless <strong>and</strong> void. There is evidence that the sentence “And the earth was without form <strong>and</strong><br />
void” (tohu v’bohu) indicates destruction, not simply primitive creation. This phrase is rendered<br />
more strongly elsewhere in other ancient versions. For example, the Chaldee Version has<br />
“But the earth had become desert <strong>and</strong> empty,” the Septuagint has “But the earth had become<br />
unfurnished <strong>and</strong> empty,” <strong>and</strong> the Aramaic has “And the earth had become ruined <strong>and</strong><br />
uninhabited.”<br />
This view teaches that God originally created the heavens <strong>and</strong> the earth (Gen. 1:1), including<br />
angels. They believe that in the so-called gap between Genesis 1:1 <strong>and</strong> 1:2 there is a vast<br />
amount of time, even millions of years. During this time many things are said to have<br />
happened, such as Satan's fall into sin.<br />
2. Satan's fall took place in the gap between Genesis chapter 2 <strong>and</strong> Genesis chapter 3<br />
These people hold to a recent earth theory where the age of earth is not much more than<br />
6000 years or so <strong>and</strong> they hold to a literal six day creation week. <strong>Sin</strong>ce the angels, including<br />
Lucifer, are part of all that is in heaven, they conclude that the creation of Lucifer took place<br />
during the six days of creation. "And God saw every thing that he had made, <strong>and</strong>, behold, it<br />
was very good. Yet within Eden was this serpent. So the fall of Lucifer must have taken place<br />
sometime before the 6 th day of creation.<br />
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