When Did Lucifer Fall?
Many seekers of truth want to know when did Satan’s apostasy and expulsion from heaven take place. Was it before our world was created? The Scriptures do not reveal a great deal on this point, but there is an indication when it may have occurred.
What We Do Know
We know that Adam and Eve’s innocence was short lived. The exact amount of time they lived in perfect harmony with God we do not know. It is more important to know how sin arose and how God is dealing with it. This companion post reviews some information in previous blogs, and goes into further review of the dilemma the universe faced.
Adam and Eve’s Innocence – Short Lived
We know their innocence did not surpass the birth of Cain. So, the duration of mankind’s state of innocence appears to be relatively brief. In Genesis 5:3 we read, that “Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son . . . and called his name Seth.” Of the birth of this child we read that Eve “bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Gen. 4:25). Two things stand out clearly: (1) Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born, and (2) Seth was born after Cain had slain Abel.
Cain and Abel had already reached the age of accountability when they brought the offerings in worship to God (Gen. 4). Their actual age is not recorded, but they had become adults of responsibility. They could have easily been twenty to thirty years of age when the crime occurred. So if we take thirty years, that would make Adam’s age about one hundred years old before Cain was born. From this it would appear that mankind’s plunge into sin took place very shortly after the world was created—at most one hundred years, give or take a few years. This seems to be a very plausible understanding of when their innocence came to an end, but we must confess we are not exactly sure.
Lucifer Cast Out, Along with His Followers
The Scripture indicates that when Lucifer rebelled against the government of God, he led with him one third of the angels (Revelation 12:4). As a result, these rebels were all expelled from heaven. Just when this occurred in relation to the history of our planet is not exactly revealed in Scripture, although the real cause of sin is clearly stated in such passages as Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19.
Devine Justice
Now, when did divine justice deal with Satan and his hosts? That also is something not definitely revealed; but in His dealing with sinful man God has revealed His character. He is a long-suffering and a forgiving God who would sacrifice Himself in order to save His creatures. We read that He is “longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
In love God endures with sinful man for these thousands of years, patiently working out the problem in a way best for all concerned. When we consider the history of our human race, we should not venture to say that He was any less long-suffering in handling the problem of sin among “angels, which are described greater in power and might” than men (2 Peter 2:10-11).
We all know the tragic results of sin. Concerning Satan and the apostate angels we know for sure they were expelled from heaven. The account of Satan’s first contact with humanity, as given in Genesis 3, shows that he was already a hardened sinner and a determined enemy of God; that he had no scruples whatsoever against the use of falsehood and slander in fomenting disloyalty and disobedience to the Creator; and that he was cruelly bent on the enslavement and ultimate ruin of humanity by sin. Disguised as a wise concerning Serpent, he astonished Eve, giving rise in her mind of what he had already embraced through his own conceit. We do know that the plan of redemption was made before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9-11). But the actual expulsion of Lucifer and the angels he led astray, we are not exactly sure.
We can cling to the promise that in the end sin will be eradicated and will never rise again (Nahum 1:9).