​ETERNITY PAST: THE TIME BEFORE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

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GENERAL SITUATION BEFORE CREATION

As far as we know, before creation the sphere of existence was all spiritual. Heaven is said to be a spiritual place inhabited by spiritual beings. God is said in the Bible to be a spiritual being. That does not restrict him to being only a spiritual being, for in the case of Jesus we know that God also took on a physical nature. God may also be able to take on other natures that we know nothing about in our earthly nature. Angels are also spiritual beings. For the purposes of this discussion we will assume that before the creature of the physical universe, everything in existence was spiritual.

We will assume that at the present time there are two natures, one spiritual and the other physical. The clues in the Bible seem to indicate that the physical universe is a subset of the spiritual universe. Those in human form in the physical universe are not aware of and cannot see the spiritual universe. However those in the spiritual universe are aware of and can see the physical universe as a subset of the spiritual universe. Clues are that spiritual beings, namely angels and humans who have died exist in spirit form only, cannot physically impact the physical world and cannot participate in physical activities. It seems that a special type of form is required to be able to fully participate in both spiritual and physical activities. This form is referred to in the Bible as a “glorified” form or nature. This is the nature that Jesus is said to have before he came to earth as a man and also after his resurrection. It is also the nature that believers will have after the rapture. A close examination reveals that the architecture of humans revealed in the Bible is as a spirit being inhabiting a physical body. It seems that when Adam and Eve were created they initially had a glorified form and could thus fully participate in both heaven and earth. When they fell into sin they were restricted from participating in the spiritual realm and banned to the physical earth only. They lost their glorified form and saw themselves as “naked.” It seems angels in general are spirit beings only and cannot participate in the physical universe. They can still impact humans in the spirit. They have access to human spirits but not human bodies. The Bible seems to describe different categories of angels. There is at least one category of angels that are apparently glorified and can thus participate and be seen in the physical universe. This happened many times in the past as described in the Bible and thus we would assume that it still happens on occasion today.

All of this is not to say that there might not be other physical domains that exist in heaven. We simply do not know. We can only interpret the clues given to us in the Bible since it is the only book in the world that was written by the creator of the world. For the purposes of this study we will assume that heaven is a spiritual place without bounds and that there is a created physical subset that is physical that we refer to as the universe.

ANGELS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

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ANGELS: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TRUTHS AS PRESENTED IN THE BIBLE

Angels were created before the creation of the physical universe. They lived in the spiritual dimension that we call heaven. We will list a few of the general characteristics and truths about angels below. For a much more complete discussion of angels go to the section on of this website on angels.

• Angels were created by Jesus (John 1:1-5, Prov 8:27-30, Ps 148:1-5, Col 1:15-18).
• Angels were created as permanent beings; they were apparently all created at the same time and don’t die (Lk 20:34-36, Ps 148:1-5).
• God’s angels are holy and obedient to him (Psalm 103:20, 89:7). They are sometimes called “holy ones” (Dan 4:13, Zech 14:5, 1 Thess 3:13, Jude 14).
• Angels don’t get married and procreate in heaven (Matt 22:29-30, Luke 20:34-36).
• Angels have presence; they can only be at one place at a time. They are not omnipresent. This includes Satan. (Dan 10:10-14).
• Angels were present during the creation of the physical universe (Job 38:4-7). Since they were also created beings this means that they were originally created as spiritual beings and may not have had the capability to manifest themselves physically until the creation of the physical universe. It seems likely that only a limited class of angels can appear in the physical realm.
• Angels are invisible and immaterial spirits (Heb 1:14), and we can only see them on very special occasions (2 Kings 6:15-17).
• Certain angels sometimes become visible on earth and look like people, to the extent that they may be mistaken for men (Gen 18:2, 22, 19:1, Dan 10:12, 18-21, 11:1, Zech 2:1-3, Heb 13:2).

All angels were originally created to do good and worship God. However, at some point before the creation of man Satan fell into sin and convinced one third of the angels to follow him.

CATEGORIES OF ANGELS

The terms rulers, authorities, powers and dominions are titles or orders assigned to angels by God in the heavenly realm. These terms also seem to be used occasionally to describe titles and orders assigned to men on earth. They are likely terms used in an organizational sense. That these terms apply to angels is apparent from Eph 3:10. Not much is said in the Bible about them and we are only given a few clues with which to work in understanding them. Eph 1:19-21 says that God’s throne in heaven is far above these categories of angels. I suspect that this is true in several senses including (1) in power and authority, (2) in importance and (3) in a dimensional sense. In the discussion of Satan’s fall in Ezek 28:16 he was expelled from God’s government in heaven (thrown down from his mount). I suspect that this was a dimensional fall and that Satan was still in the lower dimensions of heaven. From that time until today Satan had to seek permission to come before the Lord on his heavenly throne.

WICKED ANGELS IN THE PAST

Did you know that there are wicked angels? Where did they come from?

It seems that God created angels in the heavenly realm before he created mankind on earth. We don’t know how much before, but it was before (Job 38:4-7). He created millions upon millions of angels (Rev 5:11). Let’s continue by looking at some of the characteristics and powers of Satan and his wicked angels.

Satan was created as a model of perfection, wisdom and beauty, but fell because of pride (Ezek 28:11-19). He was cast out of his place of authority in God’s heavenly government (Rev 12:7-9). Satan wanted to be worshipped like God and was therefore banished from his lofty position in heaven (Isa 14:12-17).

One third of all angels in heaven fell with Satan and became wicked angels (Rev 12:4).

Satan’s fallen angels are sometimes called demons (Matt 12:24), evil spirits (Lk 7:21), unclean spirits (Matt 10:1), and spiritual forces of evil (Eph 6:12).

There is a special class of evil angels called Nephilim.

A discussion of the fall of Satan follows.

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SCRIPTURES DESCRIBING SATAN’S FALL AND THE ANGELS WHO JOINED HIM 

We will first present several scriptures that are pertinent to the fall of Satan and then analyze them to attempt to understand the timeframe and extent of his fall.

SATAN WAS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Ezek 28:13-14 (13)You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. (14)You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

SATAN WAS THROWN OFF THE MOUNT OF GOD AND EXPELLED FROM EDEN

Ezek 28:16 (16)Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

SATAN WAS THROWN DOWN TO EARTH

Ezek 28:17 (17)Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

Isa 14:12-13 (12)How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! (13)You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

Rev 12:9 (9)The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Rev 12:12 (12)Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

ONE THIRD OF THE ANGELS FELL WITH SATAN

Rev 12:4 (4)His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

JESUS TRIUMPHED OVER SATAN AT THE CROSS

Col 2:15 (2)And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

JESUS SAW SATAN FALL FROM HEAVEN BEFORE HE CAME TO EARTH

Luke 10:17-18 (17)The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (18)He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

SATAN STILL HAD ACCESS TO HEAVEN DURING JOB’S LIFE (~1900 BC)

Job 1:6-8 (6)One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. (7)The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." (8) Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

SATAN APPARENTLY WILL NOT BE THROWN DOWN TO EARTH AND LOSE HIS ACCESS TO HEAVEN UNTIL THE TRIBULATION PERIOD 

Rev 8:10-11 (10)The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- (11)the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

Rev 9:1-3 (1)The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. (2)When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. (3)And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.

Rev 9:10-11 (10)They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. (11)They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

ANALYSIS OF SATAN’S FALL: As we analyze these scriptures that all give some details of Satan’s fall we see past, present and future aspects to them. The time frame is difficult to comprehend because God experiences time in a different way than we do. He is apparently not bound by time constraints and can see the past, present and future at the same time as the great "I AM." The verb tenses in these scriptures may be from man’s perspective and they may be from God’s perspective. From my limited understanding I would interpret Satan’s fall in the following manner.

Satan was expelled from Eden, the garden of God in heaven (Ezek 28:13-14 above), and from the Mount of God either before or soon after man was expelled from Eden. Man’s spirit was apparently the first aspect of him that was created, as described in Gen 1:26-27. This describes man being created in God’s image and since God is spirit (John 4:24), that implies that this is describing the creation of man’s spirit, and possibly also a glorified body for the spirit to dwell within. With the glorified body man could dwell both in heaven and on earth at the same time. In the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis it appears that they were living both in Eden in heaven and on earth at the same time. One of two things happened at the fall. Either man’s glorified body was changed into a strictly three dimensional human body or man’s human body was created and the spirit which had been created earlier was placed within it. The end result is the same in either case. The soul is described in Genesis as a spirit living within a three dimensional body which was made from the dust of the earth (Eccl 12:7, Dan 12:2, Rev 20:4). After man’s fall, God erected a barrier between earth and Eden in heaven so that man could no longer get to heaven by himself. Man lost his unified glorified body and no longer had access to the spiritual dimensions. Many scientists believe that the universe must have at least 10 dimensions in it or it could not exist. I see man’s fall from heaven as being a dimensional fall.

I interpret Satan’s fall as occurring in stages. He had full access to heaven and to God in the beginning. After he tempted man to sin in Eden he was banned from Eden and the Mount of God (Ezek 28:16). He apparently still had some access to God and to heaven but in a more limited fashion. This is apparent from the book of Job (see Job 1:6-8). Satan’s major objective since his fall from Eden has been to disrupt God’s ultimate plan for man to become the bride of Christ and be able to regain access to heaven. He knows that will spell his ultimate doom and he wants to put it off as long as possible. In spite of all of Satan’s schemes, Jesus won the ultimate victory allowing man back into heaven by going to the cross (Col 2:15). However, the marriage of the lamb (Jesus) to his bride (the church) will not take place until the Tribulation Period. It is apparently at that time that Satan will completely lose all access to heaven and be thrown to earth (Isa 14:12-13, Ezek 28:17, Rev 8:10-11, 9:1-3, 10-11, 12:12). Satan and his angels may take on the aspect of souls and will lose contact with their spiritual beings, just as happened to man at his fall to earth. Soon after Satan’s fall to earth he will be bound by Jesus and sent to Hades for a period of 1000 years. After the 1000 years he will be loosed for a short time to tempt the people still on earth just before the final judgments of evil angels and unbelieving mankind. After the judgment Satan and his followers will be found guilty and sent to hell, the lake of fire, forever.

To me that seems the most likely interpretation of these complicated scriptures regarding the fall of Satan.​