WAS THE DEVIL EVER AN ANGEL IN HEAVEN?
These are the most common scriptures that people use to say that the devil used to be an angel in Heaven.
Isa 14:12 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 wording in the KJV and NKJV but was corrected in other versions)
Luk 10:18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be
held for judgment;
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his
angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
It is important to understand that there are two types of Angels. There are Heavenly Angels that God created for the
purpose of serving him and then there are Pastors or ministers that are referred to as Angels.
In Rev 2:1 – 3:16 the angels of the churches were the pastors of those churches.
If the devil ever was an angel in heaven, just when was he cast out of heaven?
We have a record of the devil being here on the earth from many texts of scripture.
Gen. 3:1-6 --- The devil was in the garden of Eden in the beginning.
Job 1:6 --- He was present here when the sons of God presented themselves before God.
Isaiah 14:12 --- Many try to use this text to prove their teaching. This took place 735 B.C.
Luke 10:18 --- Here again many claim he was cast out. This text is dated A.D. 33.
Revelation 12:9 --- Here some would tell us is where he was cast forth. A.D. 96.
If you believe the devil was cast out of heaven then ask yourself this simple question: Just how many times has the devil
been cast out of Heaven? When was he cast out?
These scriptures in the book of John tell us that he was always a murderer and a liar so how could he have ever been in
heaven. HE COULDN’T. Let’s look at these scriptures.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it.
1John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
If the devil were cast out of Heaven, just why was he cast out?
The only possible reason the devil could have been cast forth from Heaven would have to be because of sin. Yet, I challenge anyone to prove by the Bible that there ever has been or ever will be any sin in Heaven.
It is one thing to teach these things and yet quite another to prove the teaching from the Bible with sound texts of Scripture. Notice the following Scriptures that teach the exact opposite of the possibility of sin in Heaven:
1. Psa 119:89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
2. Matthew 6:10 --- Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
The only thing done in heaven is "God's will". So how could sin have been present ?
If the devil was once an angel and was tempted by some force, is this force still in Heaven? When did it enter Heaven? Will I have to war against it in Heaven? If it is not still there, when did it stop?
To commit sin, one must be tempted, and I again ask a very important question for you to answer by the Bible–What is there in Heaven to tempt a person to sin? How miserable we would be, after warring against sin and the devil on earth in order to gain Heaven, to find that temptation and sin were present in that holy place where we must spend eternity.
If the devil did not fall from Heaven, where did he come from?
Isaiah 45:7 reads “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil; I the Lord do all the things.
Col 1:16 reads: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Remember the Bible speaks of three heavens
Heaven is a term which may be and often is used to denote an exalted position or high place as well as to denote the habitation of God and the eternal dwelling place of the saints. Take, for in-stance, the statement of Jesus in Luke 10:15, "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven," etc. We know that that city of Capernaum never actually got up to heaven, but Jesus referred to their pride and being lifted up in heart and mind and pronounced judgment upon them for it.
The Bible refers to the third heaven. This was an experience related by the apostle Paul in the 12th chapter of 2 Corinthians, verses 1-4. In verse 2 he refers to one being caught up to the third heaven. Then in verse 4 he says, "How that he was caught up to paradise." This identifies the third heaven with paradise, and that is not yet the place of God's abode, because in Luke 23:43 Jesus said to the penitent thief who was crucified with Him, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Jesus, then, went into paradise on the day of His death. But after His resurrection the third day following, He said to Mary in John 20:17, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." He had been to paradise, but He had not been to His Father at that time.
Now the Bible speaks explicitly of three heavens and from the foregoing conclusion it seems there must be yet at least a fourth heaven which is the abode of God.
1. There is the aerial heaven that surrounds this earth in which are the clouds as well as the sun, moon, and stars, etc.
This is what is referred to in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
2. Then there is the ecclesiastical or spiritual heaven referred to in Eph. 2:6. "And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" There are several other references in the Scriptures to these
spiritual or church heavens.
3. The third heaven or paradise is referred to in 2 Cor. 12:1-4. To understand this properly furnishes us the key to the
proper interpretation to many Scriptures which would be very confusing in connection with other Scriptures if we
do not understand this point and think that every time the term "heaven" is used in the Bible it refers only to the
abode of God.
Now let’s take a look at some of the scriptures in question.
(1) Let’s start with Isa 14:12. As we mentioned earlier the KJV and NKJV refers to Lucifer but was corrected in other versions.
(NKJV) "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
Many people today believe that Lucifer is the devil. This is even taught by many of our pastors.
Lucifer is not the devil. We will see in scripture that Lucifer was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
We actually need to start in the 4th verse. It says, "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, . . ." This makes it clear that the remarks made here refer to the king of Babylon and to no other. The thoughts concerning the proverb against the king of Babylon are continuous from this 4th verse through the 23rd verse.
The 4th verse shows the proverb against the king of Babylon and continues through the succeeding verses to tell of his violent acts in the earth against other nations and peoples for which the judgments of God are pronounced upon him and in the 22nd verse he mentions judgments against Babylon.
Let’s look again at the 12th verse which mentions Lucifer who is said to have fallen from heaven as being cut down to the ground who DIDST weaken the nations. This, then, was some judgment upon him for something he had done before this came to pass. Could it then refer to the devil? Could he have weakened the nations while he was still In heaven and then later been cast out of heaven for having weakened the nations? Could he have done any evil work in the earth while he was still a pure angel in heaven? Of course not!
But, on the other hand, the king of Babylon did do these things and became so exalted in his heart that he said he had done all these things with his own hand. The Babylon’s Kingdom was the first universal kingdom that history records, and her king subdued and weakened and brought under subjection other nations. That is why it refers to him who weakens the nations.
The 4th chapter of Daniel, verses 12 and 13, will throw much light on this 14th chapter of Isaiah. In verses 10 to 16 a vision is given to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Let’s read these versus.
Dan 4:10 These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the
earth, And its height was great.
Dan 4:11 The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the
earth.
Dan 4:12 Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under
it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.
Dan 4:13 "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from
heaven.
Dan 4:14 He cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its
fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.
Dan 4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass
of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth.
Dan 4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass
over him.
In the 19th verse Daniel begins to interpret his vision to him and refers to the tree, etc., and in the 22nd verse he says, " it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth."
This corresponds exactly with the 13th verse of the 14th chapter of Isaiah, which reads: "For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God," etc. Nebuchadnezzar was proud in heart and said the same thing in different words in the 30th verse of the 4th chapter of Daniel after he had subjected all the kingdoms of the world to himself. Listen to him: "The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honor of MY majesty."
In Daniel 4:25 Daniel proclaims unto the king what is the decree of the most high concerning him. "That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."
In Daniel 4:31-33 we find that this judgment actually came on Nebuchednezzar and just how serious it was because that in his heart he was lifted up with pride and exalted himself in his heart even unto heaven to the exclusion of the God of heaven and did not acknowledge Him but said he had done all this with HIS OWN HAND, etc. Thus he fell from heaven (the exalted position he held and attributed this unto himself in his heart) and was cut down to the earth and humiliated beyond any other man that we have any record of.
(2) Luk 10:18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
"And the seventy two returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Jesus was telling them “I saw at your command devils immediately depart, as quick as the flash of lightning. I gave you this power - I saw it put forth - and I give also now, in addition to this, the power to tread on serpents,” Notwithstanding in this re-joice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
Please bear in mind that all of this was done and said in connection with the disciples of Christ and their work. Therefore this could not refer to the devil being cast out of the eternal heaven where God dwells because he did not just at this time show up in the earth. He showed up in the Garden of Eden in the form of the serpent. He came along in Job's time and was operating all along from Adam and Eve's time on down.
These disciples of the Lord had been out on a mission for Him and they had been able through His Name to cast devils out of people's hearts who were possessed with them. It is in this connection that Jesus made this statement. Satan had taken a very exalted place and had dared to intrude into the hearts of men which had been made for God only. Through the power of Christ and His gospel he was defeated and dethroned and cast out of his exalted place in human hearts and cast down from the high esteem in which he had been held by those whom he had deceived and possessed.
(3) 2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
If you take this scripture literally along with Jude 6 then we have to believe that angels can sin. We need to take a close look at some very pertinent facts that these two texts have in common. A close examination of these texts (and this is where many fail) reveals from the context that false preachers and teachers were the subjects here and not heavenly beings of some kind.
Should it be argued that it says angels, I would like to show you from the Bible that ministers are sometimes spoken of in symbolical terms as angels. (For proof see Revelation chapters 2 and 3.) I’m not going write the entire 2nd and 3rd chapter but they are about the letters to the angels of the seven churches.
The seven churches were literal churches in the province of Asia that John was instructed by Jesus in Rev 1:11 to write to the churches. Each letter to the seven churches starts out “To the angel of the church”. No we know that John is not going to write a letter to a heavenly angel but to the ministers or pastors of the seven churches so we know that ministeres or pastors can be referred to as angels.
This fact can be further established by proving that angelic beings of Heaven are not creatures of choice but on the contrary, are void of a free moral agency. Consider these thoughts:
a. If angels could sin, have you ever read of a plan of salvation for angels?
b. Have you ever read where angels will be brought into judgment?
c. If sin, which is a direct result of disobedience produced by a right of choice, is not confined to immortal spirits encased
in mortal flesh, then we still face the danger of sin in Heaven.
d. Christ was a Sacrifice for mortal man and none other.
e. Since the Bible is silent concerning any plan of salvation for angels, it is evident they cannot repent by choice; and if
this be true, how could they have chosen to sin in the first place?
(4) Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and
his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him
Revelation 12:9 tells us, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Many people cannot see the dragon as paganism because the Bible says he is called the devil and Satan. The devil is a spirit; he is not some beast with seven heads and ten horns. That only symbolizes the Pagan Roman Empire that the devil was working through. Among the Hebrews, the word Satan is used in a very literal sense. The word devil in the Greek is actually translated as "accuser or slanderer." The word Satan in the Hebrew is translated "adversary, opposer, or accuser." This is exactly what it means when it says "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole [then-known] world." It is using it in the sense of him being an accuser, or an opposer.
In Matthew 16:23 Jesus called Peter, Satan. He said, "Get thee behind me, Satan. . . ." If you say that the dragon was the devil, because he was called Satan, then you have to say that Peter was the
devil. Jesus called Peter, Satan, because he was an adversary, or opposer to the will of God.
In conclusion here are some points for your consideration:
There is no conclusion other than the fact that God created and placed the devil here as a part of His overall plan of salvation to put us in a position whereby we have to make a choice between good and evil. This should give the Christian a greater victory as he recognizes the fact that the devil is fully subject to God. If we are subject to God, He in turn causes the devil to be subject unto us, thus permitting the child of God to live with victory over the devil at all times.
We can readily discern from the Scriptures that the devil did not spoil the plan of God and force God into a plan of salvation for man, but rather the plan was there before the world was ever formed and a force of evil was necessary to make this plan work properly.
1. There is not one text of Scripture in the whole Bible that states the devil was ever in Heaven or was at one time an
angel of light.
2. The Bible nowhere teaches that angels have a right of choice and therefore are not capable of sin.
3. There is not one text of Scripture which teaches that sin is a possibility in God's Heaven.
We have dealt with pure facts of the Bible and not man's teachings or hearsay. The truth of the matter is that the devil has never been nor will he ever be in God's great Heaven, that place is reserved for all the pure in heart who are obedient to God and His Word.
Isa 14:12 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 wording in the KJV and NKJV but was corrected in other versions)
Luk 10:18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be
held for judgment;
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his
angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
It is important to understand that there are two types of Angels. There are Heavenly Angels that God created for the
purpose of serving him and then there are Pastors or ministers that are referred to as Angels.
In Rev 2:1 – 3:16 the angels of the churches were the pastors of those churches.
If the devil ever was an angel in heaven, just when was he cast out of heaven?
We have a record of the devil being here on the earth from many texts of scripture.
Gen. 3:1-6 --- The devil was in the garden of Eden in the beginning.
Job 1:6 --- He was present here when the sons of God presented themselves before God.
Isaiah 14:12 --- Many try to use this text to prove their teaching. This took place 735 B.C.
Luke 10:18 --- Here again many claim he was cast out. This text is dated A.D. 33.
Revelation 12:9 --- Here some would tell us is where he was cast forth. A.D. 96.
If you believe the devil was cast out of heaven then ask yourself this simple question: Just how many times has the devil
been cast out of Heaven? When was he cast out?
These scriptures in the book of John tell us that he was always a murderer and a liar so how could he have ever been in
heaven. HE COULDN’T. Let’s look at these scriptures.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father of it.
1John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
If the devil were cast out of Heaven, just why was he cast out?
The only possible reason the devil could have been cast forth from Heaven would have to be because of sin. Yet, I challenge anyone to prove by the Bible that there ever has been or ever will be any sin in Heaven.
It is one thing to teach these things and yet quite another to prove the teaching from the Bible with sound texts of Scripture. Notice the following Scriptures that teach the exact opposite of the possibility of sin in Heaven:
1. Psa 119:89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
2. Matthew 6:10 --- Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
The only thing done in heaven is "God's will". So how could sin have been present ?
If the devil was once an angel and was tempted by some force, is this force still in Heaven? When did it enter Heaven? Will I have to war against it in Heaven? If it is not still there, when did it stop?
To commit sin, one must be tempted, and I again ask a very important question for you to answer by the Bible–What is there in Heaven to tempt a person to sin? How miserable we would be, after warring against sin and the devil on earth in order to gain Heaven, to find that temptation and sin were present in that holy place where we must spend eternity.
If the devil did not fall from Heaven, where did he come from?
Isaiah 45:7 reads “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil; I the Lord do all the things.
Col 1:16 reads: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Remember the Bible speaks of three heavens
Heaven is a term which may be and often is used to denote an exalted position or high place as well as to denote the habitation of God and the eternal dwelling place of the saints. Take, for in-stance, the statement of Jesus in Luke 10:15, "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven," etc. We know that that city of Capernaum never actually got up to heaven, but Jesus referred to their pride and being lifted up in heart and mind and pronounced judgment upon them for it.
The Bible refers to the third heaven. This was an experience related by the apostle Paul in the 12th chapter of 2 Corinthians, verses 1-4. In verse 2 he refers to one being caught up to the third heaven. Then in verse 4 he says, "How that he was caught up to paradise." This identifies the third heaven with paradise, and that is not yet the place of God's abode, because in Luke 23:43 Jesus said to the penitent thief who was crucified with Him, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Jesus, then, went into paradise on the day of His death. But after His resurrection the third day following, He said to Mary in John 20:17, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." He had been to paradise, but He had not been to His Father at that time.
Now the Bible speaks explicitly of three heavens and from the foregoing conclusion it seems there must be yet at least a fourth heaven which is the abode of God.
1. There is the aerial heaven that surrounds this earth in which are the clouds as well as the sun, moon, and stars, etc.
This is what is referred to in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
2. Then there is the ecclesiastical or spiritual heaven referred to in Eph. 2:6. "And hath raised us up together, and
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" There are several other references in the Scriptures to these
spiritual or church heavens.
3. The third heaven or paradise is referred to in 2 Cor. 12:1-4. To understand this properly furnishes us the key to the
proper interpretation to many Scriptures which would be very confusing in connection with other Scriptures if we
do not understand this point and think that every time the term "heaven" is used in the Bible it refers only to the
abode of God.
Now let’s take a look at some of the scriptures in question.
(1) Let’s start with Isa 14:12. As we mentioned earlier the KJV and NKJV refers to Lucifer but was corrected in other versions.
(NKJV) "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
Many people today believe that Lucifer is the devil. This is even taught by many of our pastors.
Lucifer is not the devil. We will see in scripture that Lucifer was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
We actually need to start in the 4th verse. It says, "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, . . ." This makes it clear that the remarks made here refer to the king of Babylon and to no other. The thoughts concerning the proverb against the king of Babylon are continuous from this 4th verse through the 23rd verse.
The 4th verse shows the proverb against the king of Babylon and continues through the succeeding verses to tell of his violent acts in the earth against other nations and peoples for which the judgments of God are pronounced upon him and in the 22nd verse he mentions judgments against Babylon.
Let’s look again at the 12th verse which mentions Lucifer who is said to have fallen from heaven as being cut down to the ground who DIDST weaken the nations. This, then, was some judgment upon him for something he had done before this came to pass. Could it then refer to the devil? Could he have weakened the nations while he was still In heaven and then later been cast out of heaven for having weakened the nations? Could he have done any evil work in the earth while he was still a pure angel in heaven? Of course not!
But, on the other hand, the king of Babylon did do these things and became so exalted in his heart that he said he had done all these things with his own hand. The Babylon’s Kingdom was the first universal kingdom that history records, and her king subdued and weakened and brought under subjection other nations. That is why it refers to him who weakens the nations.
The 4th chapter of Daniel, verses 12 and 13, will throw much light on this 14th chapter of Isaiah. In verses 10 to 16 a vision is given to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Let’s read these versus.
Dan 4:10 These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the
earth, And its height was great.
Dan 4:11 The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the
earth.
Dan 4:12 Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under
it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.
Dan 4:13 "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from
heaven.
Dan 4:14 He cried aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its
fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.
Dan 4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass
of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth.
Dan 4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass
over him.
In the 19th verse Daniel begins to interpret his vision to him and refers to the tree, etc., and in the 22nd verse he says, " it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth."
This corresponds exactly with the 13th verse of the 14th chapter of Isaiah, which reads: "For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God," etc. Nebuchadnezzar was proud in heart and said the same thing in different words in the 30th verse of the 4th chapter of Daniel after he had subjected all the kingdoms of the world to himself. Listen to him: "The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honor of MY majesty."
In Daniel 4:25 Daniel proclaims unto the king what is the decree of the most high concerning him. "That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."
In Daniel 4:31-33 we find that this judgment actually came on Nebuchednezzar and just how serious it was because that in his heart he was lifted up with pride and exalted himself in his heart even unto heaven to the exclusion of the God of heaven and did not acknowledge Him but said he had done all this with HIS OWN HAND, etc. Thus he fell from heaven (the exalted position he held and attributed this unto himself in his heart) and was cut down to the earth and humiliated beyond any other man that we have any record of.
(2) Luk 10:18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
"And the seventy two returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Jesus was telling them “I saw at your command devils immediately depart, as quick as the flash of lightning. I gave you this power - I saw it put forth - and I give also now, in addition to this, the power to tread on serpents,” Notwithstanding in this re-joice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
Please bear in mind that all of this was done and said in connection with the disciples of Christ and their work. Therefore this could not refer to the devil being cast out of the eternal heaven where God dwells because he did not just at this time show up in the earth. He showed up in the Garden of Eden in the form of the serpent. He came along in Job's time and was operating all along from Adam and Eve's time on down.
These disciples of the Lord had been out on a mission for Him and they had been able through His Name to cast devils out of people's hearts who were possessed with them. It is in this connection that Jesus made this statement. Satan had taken a very exalted place and had dared to intrude into the hearts of men which had been made for God only. Through the power of Christ and His gospel he was defeated and dethroned and cast out of his exalted place in human hearts and cast down from the high esteem in which he had been held by those whom he had deceived and possessed.
(3) 2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
If you take this scripture literally along with Jude 6 then we have to believe that angels can sin. We need to take a close look at some very pertinent facts that these two texts have in common. A close examination of these texts (and this is where many fail) reveals from the context that false preachers and teachers were the subjects here and not heavenly beings of some kind.
Should it be argued that it says angels, I would like to show you from the Bible that ministers are sometimes spoken of in symbolical terms as angels. (For proof see Revelation chapters 2 and 3.) I’m not going write the entire 2nd and 3rd chapter but they are about the letters to the angels of the seven churches.
The seven churches were literal churches in the province of Asia that John was instructed by Jesus in Rev 1:11 to write to the churches. Each letter to the seven churches starts out “To the angel of the church”. No we know that John is not going to write a letter to a heavenly angel but to the ministers or pastors of the seven churches so we know that ministeres or pastors can be referred to as angels.
This fact can be further established by proving that angelic beings of Heaven are not creatures of choice but on the contrary, are void of a free moral agency. Consider these thoughts:
a. If angels could sin, have you ever read of a plan of salvation for angels?
b. Have you ever read where angels will be brought into judgment?
c. If sin, which is a direct result of disobedience produced by a right of choice, is not confined to immortal spirits encased
in mortal flesh, then we still face the danger of sin in Heaven.
d. Christ was a Sacrifice for mortal man and none other.
e. Since the Bible is silent concerning any plan of salvation for angels, it is evident they cannot repent by choice; and if
this be true, how could they have chosen to sin in the first place?
(4) Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and
his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him
Revelation 12:9 tells us, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Many people cannot see the dragon as paganism because the Bible says he is called the devil and Satan. The devil is a spirit; he is not some beast with seven heads and ten horns. That only symbolizes the Pagan Roman Empire that the devil was working through. Among the Hebrews, the word Satan is used in a very literal sense. The word devil in the Greek is actually translated as "accuser or slanderer." The word Satan in the Hebrew is translated "adversary, opposer, or accuser." This is exactly what it means when it says "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole [then-known] world." It is using it in the sense of him being an accuser, or an opposer.
In Matthew 16:23 Jesus called Peter, Satan. He said, "Get thee behind me, Satan. . . ." If you say that the dragon was the devil, because he was called Satan, then you have to say that Peter was the
devil. Jesus called Peter, Satan, because he was an adversary, or opposer to the will of God.
In conclusion here are some points for your consideration:
There is no conclusion other than the fact that God created and placed the devil here as a part of His overall plan of salvation to put us in a position whereby we have to make a choice between good and evil. This should give the Christian a greater victory as he recognizes the fact that the devil is fully subject to God. If we are subject to God, He in turn causes the devil to be subject unto us, thus permitting the child of God to live with victory over the devil at all times.
We can readily discern from the Scriptures that the devil did not spoil the plan of God and force God into a plan of salvation for man, but rather the plan was there before the world was ever formed and a force of evil was necessary to make this plan work properly.
1. There is not one text of Scripture in the whole Bible that states the devil was ever in Heaven or was at one time an
angel of light.
2. The Bible nowhere teaches that angels have a right of choice and therefore are not capable of sin.
3. There is not one text of Scripture which teaches that sin is a possibility in God's Heaven.
We have dealt with pure facts of the Bible and not man's teachings or hearsay. The truth of the matter is that the devil has never been nor will he ever be in God's great Heaven, that place is reserved for all the pure in heart who are obedient to God and His Word.
