What was Lucifer’s ministry when he was still in heaven and is it true that he is the one that committed the first sin?
Amazingly enough, we only have the name Lucifer mentioned one time in the scriptures. Let’s read Isaiah 14:12-15, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” If you read the entire chapter, you will see that the context of this passage is actually a referral to the king of Babylon as presented in his pride, splendor and fall. However, this is actually addressed to the power behind the evil Babylonian king. No mortal king would claim that his throne was above that of God or that he was like the Most High. The power behind the evil Babylonian king is Lucifer.
It’s not really correct to say that Lucifer is just another name for Satan. They are, of course the same, but the name Lucifer means ‘the morning star’, while the name Satan means ‘opponent or adversary’. It would be more accurate to say that Lucifer BECAME Satan when he tried to overthrow the throne of God.
We read of Lucifer (although his name is not mentioned) in Ezekiel 28:13-19. Just as the portion in Isaiah 14 was addressed to the king of Babylon, the portion in Ezekiel was addressed to the king of Tyre. In both events, the words were actually addressed to the power behind these two evil kings. Ezekiel 28:13-19 says, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”
It’s in this portion in Ezekiel that we learn of Lucifer’s position in Heaven. Verse 13 tells us that “the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” This seems to indicate that Lucifer may have been a leader of the angels is singing praise unto the Lord. Verse 14 says that he was the ‘anointed cherub that covereth’, showing that Lucifer was favored over the other angels. As cherubs spread their wings to cover the mercy seat upon the ark in the Tabernacle, so Lucifer spread his wings over those under his charge. Although the word ‘archangel’ is not used in describing Lucifer, the word archangel means ‘chief angel’, which can appropriately be applied to Lucifer. Although he was given so much, it was his pride that caused him to think that he could be as great as God. So, yes, Lucifer was the first one who ever sinned. (222.10)