Gods Sabbath

G OD ’ S W ITNESSES

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that the only reason why the sinless angels in heaven continued their allegiance, was that they had not yet learned or accepted the actual facts. They were still, Satan contended, in a situation of prosperity and ignorance where they would continue to keep the law, but let them be “enlightened” as he was, or placed in similar circumstances to his, and they would rebel just as he had. There is just no other way Satan can explain his own faultless righteousness until the time he fell, and the similar faithfulness of the angels who are still loyal to God, than by arguing that obe dience can be rendered only under limited, favorable conditions. He is extremely skilful at seeking to explain away facts which cannot be denied. Those who would fully enter into God’s Sab bath rest must be familiar with his devisings and know how to counter them. While the loyal angels were not deceived by Lucifer’s sophist ry, nor “delivered” by his philosophy, Eve was prepared to listen and to accept it. Satan successfully presented the argument that God did not trust her, which he said was proven by God’s giving her and her husband false information about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan’s approach to Eve is a clear revelation of his arguments against God’s government. On gain ing her attention at the forbidden tree, he immediately raised the question of God’s prohibition concerning it. “He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”’” Genesis 3:1. Eve was quick to reply that they could eat of all but one tree. This had been prohibited only because to eat of it was to die. Sa tan now came right to the point, declaring that this was not the real reason at all. In direct contradiction to God’s statement he declared: “You will not surely die.” Genesis 3:4. This was to accuse God of being a liar, which in turn meant that He did not trust Adam and Eve. But Satan was the one who was actually lying. His declaration implied that here was a mar velous tree with the magical power to elevate them to equality with God—a development which he claimed God feared more The Temptation of Eve