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BONUS — Angels

A war arose in heaven soon after God pronounced all creation “very good.” However, because the account of this event is spread throughout the Bible, with only the aftermath being addressed in Genesis, it is easily overlooked. In what must have been a fierce battle, God’s army of loyal angels, led by Michael, their commander,1 struggled against Satan (the great dragon2) and the many angels that rebelled with him. Revelation — the last book of the Bible — seems to indicate that a third of all angels fought against God’s authority and were cast down to earth.3 The prophet Ezekiel also refers to Satan being cast down.4 Defeated in heaven, Satan continued his rebellion on earth, where man had been given dominion.5 In the Garden of Eden, Satan spoke through a serpent in order to entice mankind to follow him rather than God.

Many assume that the heavenly battle of the angels occurred long before mans’ creation, but it is clear that the fall of Satan and his minions had to occur after God declared that everything He had created was “very good,” at the end of day 6. Otherwise creation would not have been seen by God as being without blemish.

Likewise, the fall of Satan and the angels we now call demons took place prior to when Satan — in pursuit of God’s glory — entered the serpent and used it to beguile Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

While the Bible does not focus on the timeframe, it seems logical to assume that the period between day 6 and the Fall of Adam and Eve was very short, possibly only days or weeks, since Eve had not yet conceived the couple’s first child.6 Their bodies were operating perfectly, so it is likely that the window of time prior to sin was a few months at most.

1 Jesus is not an angel. He created the angels, and He was given authority above all angels by God (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:16; etc.). Note that Michael the archangel had to appeal to the Lord (Jesus) to oppose Satan in Jude 1:9.

2 Revelation 12:7

3 Revelation 12:4 and 12:7–10. See also Jesus’ reference to Satan falling like lightning, Luke 10:18.

4 Ezekiel 28:13–17 (see also “Lucifer and Sin” by Troy Lacey at www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/07/18/feedback-lucifer-and-sin).

5 Genesis 1:26–28; Psalm 8:6–8; Hebrews 2:8

6 Genesis 3:14–4:2 (Some researchers who agree that Satan’s rebellion occurred soon after day 6 feel that it is doubtful that it occurred the very next day, on day 7, since that day was sanctified and made holy by God.)