Satan, Lucifer and Michael, When Did They Do Battle? Or Have They?

 The entire issue concerning Satan’s status throughout the Bible presents a unique conundrum for many Christians and Bible scholars as well. It does not appear any one person has been able to identify and place each person (Satan, Michael and Lucifer) in any chronological order, a problem that upsets various doctrines found among eschatologists.

     One of the first times mentioned (or inferences) of diabolical forces are made and or seen in the Bible is in the Genesis account in Chapter 3, where Adam and Eve were tempted by the snake (identified by most people as being Satan) to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In Chapter 6, we see “the sons of God” cohabiting with the daughters of men and begetting the so-called Nephilim, who became giants and men of renown. Many eschatologists and Bible theorists believe these “Sons of Gods” are diabolical angelic beings who left their former estate in Heaven and co-mingled with the human race and thereby created a human hybrid (Nephilim), whose spirits (after they died supposedly) have been bound to earth to roam as spiritual entities that we today call demons. One question begs to be asked: Should these “sons of God” who left their former habitations in Heaven be identified as the one third of the angels that left Heaven along with Satan when he rebelled against God?

As we read in the Book of Job, it appears that Satan has access to God at that time (which no one has been able to confirm the exact date, if any) where” 6 One day the angel 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 throughout the earth, going back and forth on 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.”

The next place in the Bible where we see an inference being made to Satan (or the devil), where he is commonly referred to as a 'fallen' angel - meaning, he is an angel who rebelled and sinned against God is in Ezekiel 28:14-18. Supposedly, angels, including Satan, have free-will (just like we do) and they chose to disobey God. Supposedly one-third of the other Angels also followed Satan and were cast out of heaven, although, we do not see how many angels actually left Heaven with Satan until Revelation 12:4, which does not necessarily identify actual angels but calls them “stars” as inferred by many theorists as well:

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.

You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.

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.

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.

By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching, (Ezekiel 28:14-18).

  Revelation, Chapter 12 provides us with a convoluted narrative that thousands of theorists throughout history have tried to explain away, including how many angels actually comprise Satan’s diabolical army, along with futurists explanation as to what happens in the period known as the “end times.”:

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Satan Thrown Down to Earth

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him, (Revelation 12:3-9).

We see another condundrumatic scenario concerning the status of (fallen) angels in Jude 1:6 where” the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” If Satan is to be considered an “angel” should we view him as being held in the same captivity as are these above? Should we therefore see the where Satan has been thrown down in Revelation 12:3-9 and Jude 1:6 as being the same occasion? If so, when did this occur? At Calvary or yet some time in the future immediately before Christ returns? The above scripture (Jude 1:6) is stated immediately after we see the following remarks in verse 5:” Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe, (Jude 1:5).” Should we picture this angelic incarceration happened right after the “Exodus?”

We see Satan in many other scripture throughout the Bible (where he is aggravating Christ and His ministry as well as tempting Him to bow before him) but no other scripture to pinpoint Satan’s journey (in or out of Heaven) in any chronological fashion, other than the final scenario where we see in Revelation 20:10, where the serpent, the devil, Satan, is seen being felled by fire from above, and then thrown into the Lake of Fire.

Many theorists see Satan being bound for “a thousand years” beginning at the cross, which is where the devil was defeated and could no longer rule over mankind as he did before Christ paid the price for the sins of mankind. Many see Satan being bound for 1000 literal years beginning on the day when Christ returns to earth to set up a literal one thousand year millennium period, then is let loose for a short period of time after the 1000 years, then destroys him right before he amasses the armies of Gog and Magog to attack Jesus’ temporary headquarters at the City of Jerusalem, inside the country of the state of Israel, where (supposedly) Jesus has supervised the Jewish kingdom for one thousand years.

Therefore the question begs to be asked, when did Satan leave Heaven? At the beginning of time when He came to earth and cohabited with human women? When Christ paid the price for sin at the cross? When Christ returns (during The Rapture or seven years after) to rule on earth for 1000 years? More importantly, where is Satan at right now? Is he still in Heaven accusing God’s children, held prisoner in the abyss, or roaming around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour?

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