http://www.ccel.org/ccel/berkhof/systematictheology.

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likely that Satan dragged the others right along with him in his fall.

2. THEIR HEAD. Satan appears in Scripture as the recognized head of the

fallen angels. He was originally, it would seem, one of the mightiest
princes of the angelic world, and became the leader of those that
revolted and fell away from God. The name "Satan" points to him as "the
Adversary," not in the first place of man, but of God. He attacks Adam
as the crown of God's handiwork, works destruction and is therefore
called Apollyon (the Destroyer), and assaults Jesus when He undertakes
the work of restoration. After the entrance of sin into the world he
became Diabolos (the Accuser), accusing the people of God continually,
Rev. 12:10. He is represented in Scripture as the originator of sin,
Gen. 3:1,4; John 8:44; II Cor. 11:3; I John 3:8; Rev. 12:9; 20:2,10,
and appears as the recognized head of those that fell away, Matt.
25:41; 9:34; Eph. 2:2. He remains the leader of the angelic hosts which
he carried with him in his fall, and employs them in desperate
resistance to Christ and His Kingdom. He is also called repeatedly "the
prince of this (not, "of the") world, John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11, and
even "the god of this world," II Cor. 4:4. This does not mean that he
is in control of the world, for God is in control, and He has given all
authority to Christ, but it does convey the idea that he is in control
of this evil world, the world in so far as it is ethically separated
from God. This is clearly indicated in Eph. 2:2, where he is called
"the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in
the sons of disobedience." He is superhuman, but not divine; has great
power, but is not omnipotent; wields influence on a large but
restricted scale, Matt. 12:29; Rev. 20:2, and is destined to be cast
into the bottomless pit, Rev. 20:10.

3. THEIR ACTIVITY. Like the good angels, the fallen angels, too, are
possessed of superhuman power, but their use of it contrasts sadly with
that of the good angels. While the latter perennially praise God, fight
His battles, and serve Him faithfully, they as powers of darkness are
bent on cursing God, battling against Him and His Anointed, and
destroying His work. They are in constant revolt against God, seek to
blind and mislead even the elect, and encourage sinners in their evil.
But they are lost and hopeless spirits. They are even now chained to
hell and pits of darkness, and though not yet limited to one place,
yet, as Calvin says, drag their chains with them wherever they go, II
Pet. 2:4; Jude 6.
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[68] Foster, Christianity in Its Modern Expression, p. 114

[69] Cf. especially Kuyper, De Engelen Gods, p. 175

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V. Creation of the Material World

THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNT OF CREATION

Other nations, as well as the Hebrews, had their accounts respecting

the origin of the material universe, and of the way in which the
original chaos was changed into a cosmos or habitable world. Some of
those accounts reveal traces of similarity with the Biblical record,
but contain even more striking dissimilarities. They are as a rule
characterized by dualistic or polytheistic elements, represent the
present world as the result of a fierce struggle among the gods, and
are far removed from the simplicity and sobriety of the Biblical
account. It may be advisable to preface our discussion of its details
with a few general remarks.

1. THE POINT OF VIEW FROM WHICH THE BIBLE CONTEMPLATES THE WORK OF
CREATION. It is a significant thing that the narrative of creation,
while it mentions the creation of the heavens, devotes no further

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