When God created Lucifer, was his name Lucifer or did he have another name that was a good name? I read in Isaiah 14:12 Lucifer being referred to as the ‘morning star’. That it’s only after he rebelled that he was referred to as the devil or Lucifer.
Let’s read Isaiah 14:12 which says, “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!” This is the only time in the Bible that the name Lucifer is given. That name literally means “the morning star.” Christ, referred to Himself as the “bright and morning star” in Revelation 22:16. How great and elevated was the position of Lucifer.
We read of Lucifer’s fall in Ezekiel 28. It is obvious from the context of Ezekiel 28 that the first ten verses of this chapter are dealing with a human leader. Then, starting in verse 11 and on through verse 19, the words go far beyond that of a human leader. Lucifer is the focus of the discussion. Let’s read that portion. Ezekiel 28:11-15 says, “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, FULL OF WISCOM, and PERFECT IN BEAUTY. 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.” Notice all the superlatives used to describe Lucifer. Surely, he was an exceptional creature. Yet, in spite of his great place and power, iniquity was found in him.
Let’s go on and read Ezekiel 28:16-19, “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 WISDON 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.” What a great change in the descriptive words of Lucifer after iniquity was found in him. Even though he held a great position in Heaven, his heart was LIFTED UP. That means he became prideful.
We read of his pride and its results in Isaiah 14:13-14, “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.” Five times in this portion, Lucifer declared “I WILL” as he sought to overtake the preeminence of the Lord. It really only took ONCE for the Lord to state, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isaiah 14:15). Although Lucifer was created perfect, his pride caused him to rebel against the God that created him.
We read of other names to describe Lucifer after this incident. We read of four of those names in Revelation 20:2, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” He is called the Devil 28 times in the Bible. He is called Satan 36 times. Both of these names show his character as an accuser. He is actually called that in Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
In other places, Satan is called a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), the tempter (Matthew 4:1-3), a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44), the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:1-3), the god of this world (1 Corinthians 4:4) etc. However, he will NEVER be called Lucifer again. He gave up that right and that name when we rebelled against God. (CC) (662.4)