The angels felt so sad about what Jesus had told them that they fell down to the ground before Jesus. They asked if they could die instead of Jesus. He told them that the life of an angel could not pay the debt for sin. Only the life of Jesus could pay for man's sins.SRme 1.114

The angels would have a part in helping Jesus while He was on earth. Jesus would take man's nature. Jesus' strength would be weaker than the angel's strength so He would need the angels to be with Him and help Him.SRme 1.115

Jesus told the angels they would see people shame and hurt Him. As the angels saw Jesus suffer and saw how much some people hated Him, they would have strong feelings against what was happening. The angels had a great love for Jesus, so they would want to protect Him from those who would try to kill Jesus. But the angels must not do anything to stop what they would see. They would be allowed to have a part in His resurrection. The plan of salvation had been made and His Father had accepted the plan.SRme 1.116

With holy sadness Jesus comforted and encouraged the angels. He told them that in the future those people whom He saved would be with Him in His kingdom. Jesus' death would save many people and would destroy Satan who had caused death. Then the Father would give Jesus the kingdom. Jesus would rule the kingdom forever. Satan and sinners would be destroyed. Sin would never again spoil the happiness and peace of heaven or the new earth He would make.SRme 1.117

Jesus asked the angels to be happy the plan of salvation. His Father already had approved the plan. Jesus wanted the angels to be happy that through His death sinful human beings could again be at peace with God and someday enjoy heaven. Then the greatest joy filled heaven. The angels sang a song of praise and honor to God. They touched their harps and sang a note higher than theySRme 1.118

had ever sung before. They were happy about God's great mercy and His willingness to give His dearly loved Son to die for sinful rebels on earth.SRme 1.119

The angels sang praises to Jesus for His willingness to leave His Father and sacrifice Himself for people on earth. Jesus had chosen a life of suffering and a shameful death so that those who sinned might live.SRme 1.120

The angel said to me, "Do you think God gave His dearly loved Son without a struggle? No, no! The God of heaven had to struggle over whether He would let guilty people die or would give His much loved Son to die for them."SRme 1.121

Angels were greatly interested in man's salvation. Some of the angels offered to die for the people of the world. The angel that was with me said that sin is so terrible that an angel's death would not pay the cost for man's sin. Only the death of God's Son and His pleas on behalf of sinners would be able to save lost people from hopeless sorrow and suffering.SRme 1.122

The angels were given a work to do in the plan of salvation. They were to go back and forth between heaven and earth to bring Jesus comfort, strength, and courage in His sufferings. The angels would guard and keep God's people from the work of evil angels and the darkness that Satan would try to put around God's people.SRme 1.123

I was shown that God could not change His law to save sinners. Instead God had to suffer by giving His greatly loved Son to die for the sins of human beings.SRme 1.124

Satan and his angels were happy that, because Adam and Eve had sinned, Jesus would have to come down from His high position in heaven. Satan boasted to his angels that when Jesus would take the nature of man, Satan would be able to have power over Jesus. This would stop the plan of salvation.SRme 1.125

I was shown Satan as he once was in heaven. Satan was a happy angel in a high position. Then I was shown Satan as he is now. He still has a kingly body. He still has the beautiful features of an angel. But his face is full of worry, concern, unhappiness, jealousy, deceit, hate, and every kind of evil. I especially noticed Satan's forehead. Before sin his forehead had been kingly. Now Satan's forehead sloped back from his eyes.SRme 1.126

I saw that Satan had been doing evil for so long that every good quality had been corrupted. He had developed every evil trait. His eyes are deceitful and sly. They seem to look right through a person. His body is large. But his skin hangs loosely around his face and hands.SRme 1.127

When I saw Satan, his chin was resting on his left hand. He was thinking deeply about something. The smile I saw on his face made me tremble with fear. His smile was full of evil and deceitful planning. This is the smile Satan has on his face when he is about to make someone sin. When Satan catches the sinner in his trap his smile becomes horrible.SRme 1.128

Adam and Eve left their lovely garden home with great sadness and humility. They had been very happy in Eden until they disobeyed God's law. Now the air had changed. Before sin the temperature had stayed about the same. Now theSRme 1.129

temperature changed a lot. God put clothes of animal skin on Adam and Eve to protect them from both cold and heat.SRme 1.130

Chapter 5 — THE PLAN OF SALVATION

GOD'S LAW CANNOT CHANGE