SATAN TRIES TO GET BACK INTO HEAVEN

Satan trembled as he sat alone and thought about what he had done. He thought about his past, present, and future plans. As he trembled about the results of what had happened, he saw an angel from heaven passing by. Satan called the angel to come to him. Then he asked the angel to tell Jesus that he wanted to talk to Him. Jesus was willing to meet with Satan. Satan told Jesus that he wanted to repent. He wanted to be accepted by God again. He was willing to take the place God had given him. He would be willing to be under the wise command of Jesus.SRme 1.45

Jesus wept when He heard Satan's words. Jesus was sad for Satan. Jesus told Satan that God knew what was best and that Satan could never be accepted back into heaven. Heaven must never again have the kind of trouble Satan had caused. The peace of heaven would be destroyed if Satan returned there. Sin and rebellion were still in Satan's heart. There had been no reason for Satan to rebel. Satan had destroyed many of the angels and himself. Those angels would still be happy in heaven if Satan had not led them in rebellion. God's law could show Satan's sin, but the law could not forgive Satan's sin.SRme 1.46

Satan was not truly sorry for his sin. He was not sorry for doing wrong to God who had been so good to him. Satan's love for God had not suddenly increased. Satan was not ready now to give willing, cheerful obedience to the law he had hated. Instead he was sorry because he had lost the sweet light of heaven. He was miserable, guilty, and disappointed because his hopes had failed. Satan had lost his place of honor and his high position next to Jesus. He felt that was too much to lose. He wanted to get back what he had lost. Satan's change in position did not increase his love for God or for God's wise and fair law. When Satan understood that he could not get back his position in heaven, he became more angry than ever at God. Satan began to show his hate in every way possible.SRme 1.47

God knew that Satan would continue his rebellion and try to find new ways to show his hatred. Satan would think of ways to bother the heavenly angels and show how much he hated God's authority. Because Satan could not enter heaven, he would wait at the gate and insult the heavenly angels as they went in and out. Satan would try to get the angels to argue with him.SRme 1.48

Satan also planned to destroy the happiness of Adam and Eve. He would try to get them to rebel against God. He knew that if he could get Adam and Eve to turn against God, both God and the angels would be hurt and sad.SRme 1.49