Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
The Fall of Satan
The church has always taught that when Satan rebelled against God, he was kicked out of heaven and now is stuck roaming around on earth causing problems. The world has basically taught the same thing. Satan rules hell and God rules heaven and the earth is battle ground. The truth is, neither is correct.
A common verse to support this is found in Isaiah
Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB)
12 How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
When reading this scripture alone and out of context, it is easy to see it describing the fall of Satan. However, when you read the entire chapter of Isaiah, you learn something. It is not about Satan. It is about the king of Babylon. The description star of the morning, is symbolizing that the king of Babylon is of the devil. This is why it is so important to read scripture in context.
Here is the thing. If Satan had actually been kicked out and barred from heaven, we would not have the book of Job.
Job 1:6-8 (NASB)
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
The devil went before God in heaven. That is where God begins to boast of Job as a blameless and upright man. How could Satan have gone before God if he was barred from heaven?
Revelation 12:7-10 (NASB)
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
According to Revelation, Satan is in heaven day and night, accusing us before God. If he had been kicked out when he rebelled, before the fall of Adam, there would not be any "brothers and sisters" for him to accuse yet. So clearly the devil must have been returning to heaven to accuse us before God after the world was populated.
Now you have a choice. You can continue to believe that Satan was kicked out of heaven when he rebelled and there are clear contradictions in the Bible. Or you can understand you had been taught wrong and though Satan fell from his position amongst the angels of God, and had fallen from God's grace, he was never actually kicked out of heaven yet.
It is easy to make it all fit perfectly.
Satan fell from God's grace when he rebelled, but he still is allowed access to heaven to go before God. He does so often to accuse the saints before God. At one point in the end times (found in Revelation 12), God will have enough of his accusing God's children and have him finally kicked out and barred from returning to heaven.
A common verse to support this is found in Isaiah
Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB)
12 How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
When reading this scripture alone and out of context, it is easy to see it describing the fall of Satan. However, when you read the entire chapter of Isaiah, you learn something. It is not about Satan. It is about the king of Babylon. The description star of the morning, is symbolizing that the king of Babylon is of the devil. This is why it is so important to read scripture in context.
Here is the thing. If Satan had actually been kicked out and barred from heaven, we would not have the book of Job.
Job 1:6-8 (NASB)
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
The devil went before God in heaven. That is where God begins to boast of Job as a blameless and upright man. How could Satan have gone before God if he was barred from heaven?
Revelation 12:7-10 (NASB)
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
According to Revelation, Satan is in heaven day and night, accusing us before God. If he had been kicked out when he rebelled, before the fall of Adam, there would not be any "brothers and sisters" for him to accuse yet. So clearly the devil must have been returning to heaven to accuse us before God after the world was populated.
Now you have a choice. You can continue to believe that Satan was kicked out of heaven when he rebelled and there are clear contradictions in the Bible. Or you can understand you had been taught wrong and though Satan fell from his position amongst the angels of God, and had fallen from God's grace, he was never actually kicked out of heaven yet.
It is easy to make it all fit perfectly.
Satan fell from God's grace when he rebelled, but he still is allowed access to heaven to go before God. He does so often to accuse the saints before God. At one point in the end times (found in Revelation 12), God will have enough of his accusing God's children and have him finally kicked out and barred from returning to heaven.