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WHERE IS SATAN?
“And He said to them, I saw
Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven” Luke 10:18 (Amplified Bible).
It is interesting to note the various positions expressed in commentaries
concerning the present location of Satan and restrictions limiting his sphere
of activity. Among those expressed is the view that when the devil and his evil
angels sinned, God banished them from “the third heaven”—which, according to
traditional Jewish belief, is where God and the holy angels reside and where
the Apostle Paul believed he had been transported on one occasion (2 Cor.12:2).
(Although Paul does not refer to himself personally in that passage, it is
clear from the personal pronouns used that he is speaking obliquely of his own
experience). And as the theory goes, the immediate presence of God is in the 3rd
heaven, the 2nd heaven is “outer space” where the sun, moon and
stars are located—while the 1st heaven is the atmosphere above our
earth.
So the question is this: was Satan and his angels cast out of the
3rd heaven into the 2nd or do not pass go, do not collect
$200 dollars and go straight to jail on earth?
Let us look at what the Scriptures have to say about the subject and try
to see what fits.
Our subtitle is a quote from the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 10:18
concerning Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Cor.4:4), that was given as a
reply to the following remark made by the seventy disciples after He had sent
them out in pairs to witness to
“And the seventy returned again with joy,
saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” Luke 10:17
(Amplified Bible).
Some understand the Lord’s reply as meaning He had seen
Satan cast out of heaven to earth at some point in the past and to back up that
position they use the following passages:
“How have you fallen from heaven, O
light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut
down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations [O
blasphemous, satanic king of
”Then
war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the
dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. 8 But they were
defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. 9 And the huge dragon was cast down and
out—that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the
seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and
down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him” Revelation 12:7-9 (Amplified Bible).
But I am convinced Satan was
not banished to earth when he rebelled against God because when we turn to the
Scriptures and pay attention to the context of statements in the Book of
Revelation concerning those events in which Satan will play a part—that
particular theory does not appear to be correct.
Since Jesus Christ is God the
Son and the greatest Prophet who has ever, or will ever, walk this earth, why
can we not interpret both His statement and that of the prophet Isaiah relative
to Satan falling from heaven, as being prophetic in nature? Consider these comments on Luke 10:18 taken
from the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Bible
Commentary:
“I beheld—As much of the force of this
glorious statement depends on the nice shade of sense indicated by the imperfect tense in the original, it
should be brought out in the translation: “I was beholding Satan as lightning
falling from heaven”; i.e., “I followed you on your mission, and watched its
triumphs; while you were wondering at the subjection to you of devils in My
name, a grander spectacle was opening to My view; sudden as the darting of
lightning from heaven to earth, lo! Satan was beheld falling from heaven! How
remarkable is this, that by the law of association which connects a part with
the whole, those feeble triumphs of the Seventy seem to have not only brought
vividly before the Redeemer the whole ultimate result of His mission,
but compressed it into a moment and quickened it into the rapidity of lightning!”
(Emphasis mine).
Another reason I am convinced
the two verses cited above are still unfulfilled is simply because the latter
(Revelation 12:7) says that Satan and his angels were forced “down to the
earth!” The context of the visions seen by the Apostle John and recorded in
that chapter refer not only to events in
In Chapter 12, verses 1 through
5 we find a sequence of events in which the “woman” (
“And a great sign (wonder)—[warning of future
events of ominous significance] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the
sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crownlike garland (tiara) of
twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and she cried out in
her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery. 3 Then another ominous
sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven
heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads. 4 His
tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and
flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman
who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she
brought it forth. 5 And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is
destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and
her Child was caught up to God and to His throne” Revelation 12:1-5 (Amplified Bible).
Then keeping in mind that the
context of the entire passage in Chapter 12 pertains to Israel, the next verse
(6) leaps beyond the Church Age to describe how God will provide for the
protection of His elect among the people of Israel during the last half of the
Tribulation period—the “Great Tribulation” of 3 ½ years. And quite a few
prophecy teachers think that place of safety may be the ancient city of
“And the woman [herself] fled into the desert
(wilderness), where she has a retreat prepared [for her] by God, in which she
is to be fed and kept safe for 1,260 days (42 months; three and
one-half years)” Revelation 12:6
(Amplified Bible).
Next in line are verses 7-9, cited earlier:
”Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth
to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. 8 But
they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. 9 And the huge dragon was cast down and
out—that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the
seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and
down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him” Revelation 12:7-9 (Amplified Bible, emphasis
mine).
First of all we should note that verse 7 in the Amplified version begins with the word “then” (which is a legitimate choice for
translating the Greek particle kai) denoting that war breaks out in
heaven at a point relative to that which takes place in verse 6. And I
believe a close examination of the overall context will show the “fallout” from
that war in heaven will be the reason why the “woman” is forced to flee for her
life. Also the “abomination that makes desolate” (Daniel 11:31 and 12:11),
generally held by conservative Bible teachers to occur at the mid-point of the
Tribulation Period, definitely appears to be Satan’s explosive reaction to
something that takes place within that particular time frame. So I am
convinced the “war in heaven” resulting in Satan’s expulsion to earth will be
the trigger that prompts a demon possessed antichrist to reveal his true
identity and unleash the full fury of his hatred against Israel, along with all
that is holy upon the earth. And while thinking about this it occurred to me
that nothing in Scripture says the antichrist will be possessed by Satan alone.
Just like the “Legion” of Mark 5:9 that possessed the maniac of the Gadarenes,
I think it entirely possible that a host of the evil angelic demons will
possess the antichrist—along with Satan!
Then when we go back
to Revelation 12, verse 10 adds this:
“Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come—the salvation
and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the
power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the
accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against
them day and night, has been cast out!” Revelation 12:10 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).
Do not the words “Then” and “Now” in the verse
above (taken in light of and in
conjunction with, the contextual subject matter of Rev. Chapter 12, verses 6
and 14) point to the timing of those events taking place after
verse 5 as being at the mid-point of the Tribulation Period? (That
is, when we follow the generally accepted position taken by conservative
prophecy teachers about a mid-Trib occurrence of “the abomination of
desolation”).
Admittedly an accurate chronological sequence of these events is well
nigh impossible to determine with absolute certainty, but may I suggest the
following “guesstimate”:
- Verses 6 and
14 establish a general “window” of occurrence as being halfway through the
Tribulation Period (or perhaps shortly prior to the mid-point).
- The “then” of
verse 7 establishes a relative marker for the onset of war in heaven.
- The “then”
and “now” of verse 10 establishes a relative marker for the end of the war
in heaven that results in the expulsion of Satan and his angels.
- Verse 12
establishes the sense of extreme urgency and rage Satan will both feel and
give vent to once the expulsion takes place.
- Verses 13 and 17 establish the direction
in which Satan’s wrath will be focused—until Jesus Christ returns to put a
stop to it.
And with this being the
case, the accuser of the brethren will be allowed to continue his adversarial
“ministry” against God’s people—while retaining access to heaven—until war
among the angels breaks out and it is subsequently revoked. Only then will access be cut off as a
consequence of being expelled by the archangel Michael and the holy angels. And
when it finally does happen, he will be enraged because the time on his “game
clock” will be running out! In a blind fury because of his hatred for God, he
will utilize his great supernatural power to try to destroy the people of
“And they have overcome (conquered) him by
means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for
they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death
[holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. 12 Therefore
be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O
earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury),
because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]!13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth,
he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was supplied with the two
wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent
into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and
fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260
days). 15 Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water
like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent. 16
But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its
mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spouted from
his mouth. 17 So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman,
and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants—[on those] who
obey God’s commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ
[and adhere to it and bear witness to Him]” Revelation 12:11-17 (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).
I am especially intrigued by verse 13 because of the odd phrasing, “When
the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth…” To me, it seems to
indicate a realization that in addition to being cast out of heaven, his
supernatural ability to transcend time and space has been withdrawn. In an
instant the god of this world will have his wings clipped, so to speak, with
the sphere of his activity totally limited to earth. Thus his evil power and
fury will be concentrated upon the destructive objectives foreordained by God
as judgment upon an apostate
Then backing up just a bit, we
note that verse 4 contains a phrase about the “red dragon” that has
traditionally been interpreted as indicating his demons (a third of the angels)
followed him in rebellion and were banished from heaven and cast to earth as a
result—thereby reinforcing the belief that banishment occurred when they
rebelled:
“His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a
third of the stars and flung them to the earth…”
At first glance the placement of this phrase within the sequence of events may seem to validate the belief concerning them being cast out along with Satan and consigned to earth immediately after they sinned. But while I too believe it refers to the fallen angels, it plainly says the tail of the red dragon “dragged” them down and “flung them to the earth.” So to attribute this action to God and His angels appears to be, as trial lawyers put it, “Assuming facts not in evidence.”
Note too that verse 4 concludes with this statement:
“…And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth” Revelation 12:4 (Amplified Bible).
In the overall narrative the emphasis is upon Satan’s
attempt to kill the baby Jesus. So does it seem unreasonable to conclude that
the first part of the verse refers to the devil marshaling all the fallen
angels to send them to earth in an effort to help him fight God’s plan for a
Savior? After all, contending with extreme demonic activity was one of the
hallmarks of the Lord’s earthly ministry! And even after the devil was defeated
by Christ’s death on the cross, it seems obvious that to this day he
still has access to God because he keeps bringing accusations against the
brethren before Him “day and night”
(see Rev.12:10, cited earlier). And we know he definitely had access to God
in the past because the Book of Job tells us Satan came into His presence
during Job’s lifetime—a fact that definitely appears to contradict the
theory that he and his angels were cast out of heaven to earth immediately
after they rebelled:
“Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came
to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser)
also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, From where did
you come? Then Satan answered the Lord, From going to and fro on the earth and
from walking up and down on it” Job
1:6-7 (Amplified Bible).
However, objections
against Satan being able to enter heaven today are understandable because those
who hold that position believe the following passage says God cannot tolerate
evil in His holy presence:
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and
canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal
treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the
man that is more righteous than he?” Habakkuk 1:13 (KJV).
In other words the logic is that since heaven is where a sinless and infinitely holy God resides, how can Satan, the very personification of sin, be allowed to come before His presence? But we need to bear in mind that God is omnipresent, which means there is nowhere Satan can possibly be that is “out of His presence!” And for that reason I am convinced the answer is found in the principles of subordination and accountability. The devil is a “bulldog on a long leash that only comes when he is called.” His almost exclusive location and activity is “…going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it” (Job 1:7b), and accusing the brethren day and night before God (Rev.12:10) does not require his constant presence in heaven. However, access has to be possible for him and his angels because based upon what we find in Job 1:6-7 God can summon them at any time to give an account for their actions. Therefore, it will have to remain open until that point in the future when a despicable act of treason will cause it to be forcibly revoked. Otherwise there could be no “war in heaven” in the context found in Revelation Chapter 12.
Why do you suppose they will be so stupid as to try to overthrow God? I believe it could be due to Satan’s colossal ego being stoked by the seemingly successful regime of his antichrist on earth. Buoyed by such triumphs he may attempt to bring to fruition the “I will’s” of Isaiah 14:13-14 by means of a “back door” assault on the battlements of heaven! Taking advantage of a portal open to him since creation, he enters unbidden and tries to pull off a “palace coup.” More than likely every rotten subterfuge and strategy imaginable will have been tried up to that time and then in a cataclysmic clash of good and evil, God’s omnipotence will finally be tested—unsuccessfully, of course. But never let it be said the devil does not believe in “the power of positive thinking” because at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, he will be released from the bottomless pit long enough to succeed in raising a huge army of disgruntled humans (Rev.20:7-10). However, the outcome of that ill-advised adventure will be worse for him than the first time he tried it, because in the latter instance he will be consigned to the lake of fire forever!
Satan definitely fell
from grace when iniquity was found in him. But judging from the events
recorded in Revelation 12 it does not appear that he or his evil angels have
been banished to earth yet, nor will they be, until they are forcibly kicked
out and deprived of their former state of spiritual existence. And that drastic
action will probably reduce them to a single option—that of possessing humans
in what will prove to be the final, futile attempt to spite God by annihilating
Israel. That possibility is based upon evidence in the Scriptures that
seems to teach the principle that as disembodied spirits demons are driven to
possess someone or something—even if it is only a herd of swine (Luke 8:32).
And since the human antichrist will be Satan incarnate by virtue of demon
possession, I personally believe the following tidbit found in Isaiah’s vision
concerning Lucifer gives us some insight into the outcome of that tremendous
“demotion”:
“Those who see you will gaze at you and
consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?” Isaiah 14:16 (Amplified Bible, emphasis
mine).
Even though verse 4 of Isaiah 14 begins the passage by referring to “the king of Babylon”
(thereby causing some to conclude the balance refers to that same human
king), the narrative quickly shifts its focus and from verse 12 through 17
describes a supernatural being that I am convinced is the “anointed cherub”
(verse 14) of Ezekiel 28, referred to as “the king of Tyre” in verse 12. And in both
instances the nature of the expanded narrative clearly transcends anything that
could possibly refer to a mere mortal—apparently indicating that in each
case a man is possessed by a supernatural being. Therefore, can we rule out
the possibility that both are intended to be prophetic glimpses of the coming
antichrist?
In my imagination I can almost see the “man” of Isaiah 14:16 stretched
out on the ground with a foot of the triumphant Jesus Christ upon his neck!
Then after onlookers have gazed upon that awesome scene and pondered its
significance, Satan will be exorcised, bound, and cast into the “bottomless
pit” (Rev.20:2). Subsequently the “kings of
“Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the
king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the
sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in
Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the
sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the
sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy
tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I
have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy
“Son of
man, take up a lamentation over the king of
Of the two translations given I think the KJV is more accurate in this
particular case because it renders the verb tenses in verses 16-18 (underlined)
as future, rather than past. The point is obviously arguable because scholars
differ on how they should be translated, but to my way of thinking a future
fulfillment makes more sense.
* NOTE: “Commerce” and “trade”
(or “merchandise” and “traffick”) will be instruments of control the antichrist
will bring to bear upon the peoples of earth during his reign. Also in some
instances the Hebrew word miqdash
translated as “sanctuaries” is used to refer to
places of false worship. Could its use here refer to humans that have been possessed?
After all, are not believers in Jesus Christ sanctuaries of the Holy
Spirit?
“How have you fallen from heaven, O
light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut
down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous,
satanic king of Babylon!] 13 And you said in your heart, I will
ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit
upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north. 14 I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the innermost recesses
of the pit (the region of the dead). 16 Those who see you will gaze
at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth
tremble, who shook kingdoms?— 17 Who made the world like a
wilderness and overthrew its cities, who would not permit his prisoners to
return home?” Isaiah 14:12-17
(Amplified Bible).
If we parallel this passage with Ezekiel 28:12-19, Satan falling from
heaven and being cut down to the ground will also occur at mid-Trib. Then after
the battle of Armageddon the human body of the antichrist will be brought down
to Sheol/Hades. There has to be a distinction made between Satan and the human
antichrist, because the former will be consigned to the “bottomless pit” for a
thousand years, then be released “for a little season” (Rev.20:3). And then
after his final attempt at displacing God he will be cast into the “lake of
fire” (Rev.20:10)—not Sheol/Hades).
So it definitely appears that the devil’s head is way too big for the
tiny hat he is wearing and his motto almost has to be “It aint over ‘til it’s
over!” He apparently thinks he is eventually going to win the war and for some
reason God keeps on allowing him to give it his best shot. And while I
certainly do not pretend to know that reason, it may have something to do with
the following verse in Ephesians:
”[The
purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God
in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be
made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in
the heavenly sphere. Ephesians 3:10
(Amplified Bible, emphasis mine).
If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.
We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order—Kingdom of Antichrist—in their daily news.
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God bless you.
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