Conversation about...Open Heavens

Summary
Questions
Myths
Conversation
Conclusion
Last updated 9/12/2024

Summary

This conversation provides a summary about the sin of the devil and sins effect on God's creation as delineated in the Genesis record within the tabernacle of the heavens with levels of holiness. Interested readers may also find foundational assertions in links to these sources:

• "culpability and destiny for death" in PDF Dissertation, p. 116-18;


• "Other Created Beings" in PDF Dissertation, p. 194-95;


• "Unit Point 3 (2:14–16): The Son Endured Death and Experienced Salvation to Free People from the Realm of the Devil" in PDF Dissertation, p. 255-60.


• See also in our  2024 book publication by WIPF & Stock, Henry, Atonement and Logic, p. 102-04; 176-77; and 230-34.

Question(s)

Questions are designed to focus the conversation in the biblical mapping conversation and either reveal incoherence or knowledge gaps in hearing of God's speech. Each question links to related discussion content into the evaluation of the biblical conversation below.

1. Question: Does Scripture speaking of God as light mean this literally, as a figure of speech, or both?


2. Question: By what methods does God reveal relevant matters in the unseen creation that have bearing on the state and chaos of the visible creation? Direct prophecy (This is that)? Allegory (This is like that)? Typology (This is like that in a greater way)?


3. Question: Has any man, including Adam and Eve, seen God in the holy of holies of Heaven? Why or why not?


4. Question: Who in Scripture attempted to see God in his Glory? What happened?


5. Question: What did Satan/Devil/Anointed Cherub do before his evil decision? When was this decision probably made? Who else agreed with his new philosophy/ideology? What was the new philosophy/ideology?


6. Question: Did the devil/Satan sin before people?


7. Question: How did God respond to the devil's sin regarding his relationships of his place and position in heaven? How did God deal with Satan on his way to his domain to have his own dark kingdom and servants?


8. Question: Is there still an ongoing cosmic debate and resistance to God's way of righteous living in heaven under his loving Lordship?


9. Question: Did Satan in a way receive a temporary kingdom?


10. Question: What happened to the spiritual, heavenly Eden, the garden of God, in the past that forced a change in the organization and structure into the kingdom of the heavens?


11. Question: How much freedom does Satan have in this cosmic separated creation before the execution of his sentence?


12. Question: From a heavenly perspective, why do things like wars, illness, injustice, and other earthly evils occur?


13. Question: On what heavenly day do you think Satan's sentencing will be executed into the Lake of Fire?


14. Question: If one defines "hell," as away from the presence of God, as invisible - dark without his brightness of Glory, would this cosmos really be the place that angels await their final execution of judgment into eternal fire?

Myths

Myths consist of earthly focused philosophical and theological claims, which God has not spoken in his word-speech. These are commonly accepted as warrants among some people to flatten heavenly truth for correspondence with errant (supposed) earthly promises applied by adherents either alone or in a group over other people not in their group (Matt 24:4-12; cf. Col 2:8). Each listed myth links to related biblical conversation in the material below concerning God's speech about the ability of Christ to bring all things to himself in heaven.

1. Myth: Since trumped by Genesis, and "Back to the Beginning" ideology, other biblical teaching about the activity of the devil and the effect of angelic sin on God's creation can be ignored


2. Myth: God as light, in the fullness of his glory, has been present in the dark cosmos of creation since Genesis 1:1


3. Myth: Satan and angelic demons are already today in the Lake of Eternal Fire


4. Myth: Adam and Eve as flesh saw the living God in his glory


5. Myth: God's judgment and final sentence of Satan, and fallen angels, is not swift

Related Conversation of God's speech
through Revelation of his Word

This conversation explores an in-depth biblical evaluation about the current cosmological darkness and corruption now experienced by people. Living in darkness, with a sun, moon, stars, and life sustained by decay of other creation, greatly contrasts with the final state of God's kingdom at the completion of his current extended offer for the salvation of people by repentance and faith in Christ at death and judgment into heaven (Heb 9:27-28). The state of darkness and decay is not evil. However, the consequences of darkness and decay that ends in death of any creation are an enemy of God against his desire for perpetual and eternal living of that which he creates (Gen 2:9; 1 Cor 15:26, 50-58; Col 2:9-15). The present darkness and decay only occur as the result of evil in God's withdrawal of his presence in wrath. Adam and Eve (image of God in heaven), with absolute access to the tree of life in the garden in earthly Eden (image of heavenly Eden) before their choice to learn about evil (Rom 5:12), initially had opportunity at the natural end of fleshly life to live promptly in the eternal/perpetual places of heaven. Another mapping Conversation 5A - The Tree of Life Before Adam's and Eve's Sin, explores a change in the opportunity for eternal/perpetual place living by transformation into spiritual bodies fit for heaven, from absolute to contingent, with the necessity for God's own intervention for restoration of his initial spiritual transformation option. This conversation here focuses on the biblical history behind the darkness in God's kingdom and its contrast with heavenly light.

By direct prophetic revelation, God reveals that he is light (John 1:4-5; 8:12; 9:5; 2 Cor 4:4). This description that God is light has more meaning than a figure of speech describing his perfection, purity, and holiness. God's substance-reality of light exists more than a metaphor to contrast good and evil in the actions of people. God is a literal light so perfect, pure, and unchanging (1 Tim 6:16) that no shadows exist in the presence of other creation near the presence of his glory. The light of God energizes and defines the eternal perfection of God’s past light-based kingdom before sin, just as it will in the future in the reordered, new kingdom (Rev 21-22, esp. Rev 21:22-23, 22:5; 2 Pet 3:13).

As revealed by the Spirit of God by direct, analogical, and typological prophecy, in God’s company of the holy of holies of heaven, the diverse intensity of color over the full spectrum of light emanates sharpness, contrast, and definition that no one has or can see in human flesh (1 Cor 2:9-10). The distinction of matter in our shadowy universe functions by degrees of darkness. Artists must spend years learning proper technique of light and the shadows produced. In the God's presence, his creations shine with the glory of his eternal/perpetual place light, where not one iota of darkness can be found. In heaven, there are no sunrise or sunsets with lengthening and shortening of silhouettes dancing around an object that exists in the holies of holies of the current heavens of God's house. Varied technologies for capturing the escaping energy from the decay of broken atomic bonds of the dark creation are not required. No nuclear fission, electron heated elements, or excited gases glow there. As noted in mapping Conversation 12 - End of the Eternal/Perpetual-Places (Age)/Everything New, there are many changes from the life of this dark expanded cosmos that is wearing out as an old garment (Heb 1:10-12; 2 Pet 3:10-12). For assistance of people’s understanding, the light of God is contrasted metaphorically with darkness as one of the main central themes of his revelation in the Bible. As the Apostle John defined fellowship and love by God’s children, he used for illustration this characteristic of God as light (1 John 1:5). James used God’s quality of light without shadows or change to credit God as the unchanging source of all blessings (James 1:17). By trusting in Jesus as the Christ personal Savior, believers are called "the children of light" (Psalm 104:1-2; 1 Tim 6:16; Eph 5:8).

God’s unseen light in the invisible substance creation shines so bright that human eyes cannot bear to look upon Him without fear of death. In fact, no human being ever to live upon the face of the earth, other than Jesus, has seen the full brightness of God the Father in his glory (John 1:18). In the fifteenth century BCE, after speaking often with God face-to-face in the holy of holies between the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant, Moses longed to see God in his true glory. As Moses understood more about the separated heavens and earth through revelations of the tabernacle, he was overwhelmingly curious to meet face-to-face his Creator. He knew this Creator would come both as his promised Messiah and as a blessing to all peoples of the earth (Heb 11:23-29; cf. John 17:1-10). He desired a glimpse of the Lord he served in meekness. The Lord told Moses that such a meeting was impossible. He could not in human flesh meet the Lord and live, since the promised atonement had not been completed for his sins. When Moses persisted, the Lord allowed him to see his back. Moses got more than he bargained. Moses was filled emotionally with fear and trembled at what he saw. Even a small glimpse of God wrought great fear that overtaxed his physical and mental stability in the moment (Exo 33:18-23; Heb 12:21)

In the first-century CE, the Apostle Paul attempted with his physical eyes to see the Lord when addressed by Him on the Damascus Road. He fell to the ground in reflex to the brightness and sound of Jesus's voice of his glorified state. There was little doubt about who had addressed him. Yet his eyes blistered, unable to tolerate a look at Jesus in his glorified state (Acts 9:3-9; 9:17-19).

Scripture reveals the darkness of cosmos and absence of the glorious light of God was created purposely by the Lord (Jer 4:22-28, situation of Israel prophetic typology of past wrath upon sin in greater way). He is ultimately responsible for the substitute lights, created on day four (Gen 1:14-19), of the sun, moon, and stars, with subsequent shadows (Isaiah 45:5-7).

What motivated God to create this great change of contrasting light and darkness in a part of the "kingdom of the heavens" of his house? As discussed, in previous mapping Conversation 2A - Time in All Creation Before Sin and the Ministry of Christ and Conversation 2B - Creation Before the Beginning and Sin by the Devil, for an eternity of measureless time, all time, space, and substance matter must have operated in oneness in the glorious light of God. There were "angels" and other created beings known as "morning stars," with authority, power, responsibility, talents, and beauty that obediently served God’s will in every way. His spiritual creations radiated with brightness of the stars and illuminated in fire-like appearance. These special beings sang and praised the works of the Father done by the Son as observed before them as He spoke upon the dark, chaotic waters and to begin creation of the current form of the heavens and earth. Moses's historical theme of "beginning" (Gen 1:1; cf. John 1:1-3) written in the fifteenth century CE, covered the initiation of events of this current age of people's participation in heavenly matters within his creation of this temporary, shadowy land, which included a special purpose of God for Israel (earthy image of heavenly spiritual people of God, cf. Rom 9:1-8; 1 Cor 10:1-12, esp. 1 Cor 10:6, 11, English "example" is Greek typos indicating typological link as image of unseen heavenly reality; see PDF Dissertation, p. 29-34); Henry, Atonement and Logic, p. 26-31).

As one reads the Bible, attempting to gain greater understanding about God's purposeful creation of darkness and decay apart from his light in the eternal/perpetual heaven, stimulates many questions. Why did Jeremiah 4:23 say in his vision about judgment of Israel add prophetic typology of an example of God’s past judgment when the "light was gone?" Why even with substitute lights of creation, does Paul say, in Ephesians 6:12, that even now believers are contending "against the rulers of the darkness of this world"? Why would God add two heavens with boundaries and limitations set apart from the light of his glory (Gen 1:1)? Why is it that before Jesus's rising as a transformed spirit after death into the holy of holies, only Jesus had ever seen the Father among all people that have ever lived in flesh on the earth? This means Adam and Eve, living in the dark creation, did not get to see God in his glory before they sinned. Why is that so, and why was the world dark before they sinned? Why can people not see the actual light of God today, in the "present heavens" as Peter calls them (2 Pet 3:7)? Why did God need substitutes for his glorious light in the Genesis creation (Gen 1:14-19), whereas in the New Heaven and New Earth, he is the only light, and all energy of existence comes from Him (Isa 24:23; 60:19; Rev 21:23, 25; 22:5)? Why do people exist in darkness with decaying fleshly bodies without radiant light, as they will in the new glorified bodies patterned after the Lord (1 Cor 15:35-50)? Why would one in their fleshly body die if brought into the presence of the light of our Father (Exo 33:18-23; Heb 12:21)? All this leads to the following important question of this conversation…

Who Turned Out the light?

Angelic Beginning Inhabited Home

Although God says he is ultimately responsible for the changes in heavenly substitutions, the Scripture in many places also tells us about background context that involved problematic choices of angels, who are spiritual, substance, created beings of God’s eternal/perpetual, immeasurable past. In the OT, a general term for all spiritual beings is the Hebrew elohim (Psalm 8:5; 82:6; 95:3; Hebrew ʾĕlōhîm). We know angels or elohim were created, since we are told that Christ, as the Word/speech-action of God, made everything "in the eternal/perpetual places" (John 1:1-3, 1:9-10; Heb 1:2; Col 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6). Angels, as the literal meaning of the word implies, are messengers, as spirits connected to another previous creation by God that is invisible to the senses of earthly people. As the designation elohim implies, angels are native to this pre-existing, spiritual, unseen, substance creation that cannot be sensed by people except by God's revelation. Like the wind, these substance spiritual beings are undetectable by present senses people except under special occasions allowed by God. One can see the results of their work but cannot see their actual appearance in varying degrees of color and brightness as the flames of a fire (Heb 1:7; Psalm 104:4). It is this glowing bright appearance that usually instills great fear in those who have seen an actual angel prompting their most used greeting to people, "Fear Not!" (Luke 1:30). Yet, in all their power and uniqueness in comparison to people, God shares that some angels are responsible for the current heavenly separation in heavens with levels of holiness in a tabernacle/Temple design.

These spiritual creations had been given a place to live with God in heaven. Translated as "first estate" (KJV) or "own domain" (NASB), Jude speaks of their "beginning" - a verbal noun that can add sense for the described action as first in time, place, or position of power, in relation to events by others. It is the same word used for "in beginning" in John 1:1. However, the word here functions grammatically as an acusative noun of direct object that receives the action of the adjectival aorist active participle "who after not keeping." The terms use refers both to a location or place in their past assignment by God. This place is further clarified by the term "proper abode" (NASB), which literally senses in the Greek language an "inhabited home or personal dwelling." These angels, from their beginning, experienced a place in heaven as their home with God. Since angels preexisted the creation of this dark cosmos, the heaven inhabited  must only be that heaven "not of this creation" (Heb 9:11; 11:3),the heaven of God's dwelling that preexisted our current separated dark, less holy heavens.

Angelic Fall Descriptions

Jesus emphasized, by his witness of the fall of Satan (Luke 10:18), his authorial experience over Satan and evil in the creation to support his messianic claims. Consider the translation, "And he [Jesus] said, 'I saw the Satan as lightning after rapidly falling from heaven'" (Luke 10:18, translation and emphasis mine). This witness by Jesus reaches back in time to the creation of the current dark cosmos by Yahweh (John 1:1-3). Other statements by Jesus and the Apostle John also link the events surrounding Satan's sinful choices and actions with the beginning of the current separated design of the current cosmos (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8).

The eternal "living" God lives within the domain of time in all interactions with what is created by Him. The activity and life of angels, like all creations of God, fall under the attribute of time in a God-creation-relationship. Any action committed, including their creation, is permanent unchanged past history. God does not do history over when events are not to his liking or will. For example, in Ezekiel, the king of Tyrus provides a typological example of Satan's fall in the unseen creation (Ezekiel 28:15). Ezekiel's statement "from the day that thou wast created," again emphasizes time as always an integral part of the God-creation-relationship. Angels have their own beginning, living with an unchanged past, as they in the present make choices about future actions. These angels were not created evil. They, like all creation, make personal choices in time. Evidently some, in personal choice, did not keep guard and abandoned or left behind their inhabited home in heaven. Was the day one of the six days recorded in Genesis? Not if with other creations, they watched the creative actions of the Son as taught in Job 38:6-7.

Angels were created below the dominion of God the Son and, as shown by the writer of the book of Hebrews, today serve in special ministry in assistance of God's plan to bring people to salvation (Hebrews 1:4-9,13-14). God's creations are always ordered in position, purpose, ability, rank, and responsibility throughout his kingdom (Col 1:15-17). These differences are assigned by his own choosing as He determines. Doing God's will, angels wield great power unsurpassed in comparison to people as seen in Scripture.

As one considers the privilege of angels, it is just unimaginable that even one would forsake the blessings of God’s light, peace, permanance, and presence in heaven. Isaiah found himself asking the same questions, as he understood more about the current situation of the kingdom of the heavens. He asks questions about the leader of the unimaginable who weakened the nations of other creations of God (Isa 14:12). God gives a title of description using "dawn" and "morning," perhaps alluding to him being one of his earliest creations. Satan was bright with light as the dawn of sunrise to the eye. He interacted with the "nations," which referred to other groups in the kingdom of the heavens. His responsibility now according to Paul concerns serving as a ruler of the kingdom of the air (Eph 2:1-2).

This creature’s position in the angelic kingdom was first, implying he served in the kingdom as a leader over others. He probably had charge of the material/substance creation  of eternal past before there the "waters" of destruction that were used as the invisible materials to make the current heavens and earth (Heb 11:3; 2 Pet 3:1-6). From the Apostle Paul’s title description, by using the term "air," this angel’s responsibility over the creation of eternity past was as essential as unconscious breathing is to the life of the human body or the life of the present planet. His work enabled the material/substance creation to be energized with astounding beauty and living harmonious activity. All past heavenly creation functioned in a oneness, where each part was essential to the dynamic contribution of the whole. According to Ezekiel, this early creation was comparable to a beautiful garden on earth that God called affectionately Eden. The Eden of Genesis pictures symbolically in shadow, God's Eden of the spiritual unseen heaven past before sin entered into his creation. Satan probably oversaw the vibrant activity of the nations of past heavenly Eden created by God. Life by all in heaven past brought great glory and pleasure to God and his other creations with Satan as the main overseer (Ps 90:1-2; John 17:5).

This angel is also known by many other names such as Lucifer, devil, evil one, slanderer, murderer, liar, ruler, prince, and more. He is not a stupid, red, tricky being with pointed tail and ears. As often imagined, there are no beady narrowed eyes and sinister appearance. He is probably depicted this way to soothe fears about a powerful being not seen or completely understood.

He is masterful, powerful, wise, intelligent, active, and diligent. He is not a childlike novice ignorantly taking punches at God and his plans. Every action is purposeful to self-fulfilling goals. A resume typologically given about his background through the King of Tyre reveals that he has had experience in God’s work long before his dark thoughts. He was high ranking as one of the guardian Cherubim that protected the holiness and purity of God. Ezekiel is thought in his lamentation to figuratively portray in a greater way the King of Tyre as a type of this special angel of God to describe his former past and involvement in the kingdom of the heavens (Ezekiel 28:12-17).

For some period of time in creation past, this angel existed as part of the oneness of God’s beautiful perfection. From God’s description Satan, could not be improved in any way. Every part of his being added up to complete wisdom and beauty. His appearance was something to behold as well – a superior contrast of colors as described by the different stones. The "holy mount of God" tells of his high position in God’s government of the creation of nations. He "walked among the fiery stones" revealing his access to power from God. He was "ordained" or set apart and prepared for this special purpose in heaven past. God said of him, "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created," testifying, for at least some period of time from the day he was created, that he did God’s will. So why and what did angels do that sent a tsunami of vast change to God's kingdom?

Angelic Rebellion

Long after Moses in Genesis was given the historical account of people in the cosmos, other inspired authors tell of an angel that had part in a previous catastrophic event. As mentioned in mapping conversation Conversation 2B - Creation Before the Beginning and Sin by the Devil, Jesus's parables tell secret knowledge about the kingdom of the heavens that he wanted his disciples to understand. These parables spoke of an "enemy" of God. This adversary forced God to pour out his wrath of judgment in heaven sometime before the creation of this present earth. According to Jeremiah 4:27, this judgment was not "total ruin" or a "full end" in destruction to nothingness. Moses in Genesis and Peter, both call the resulting effects upon a portion of heaven as dark unorganized chaotic "earth" and "water." More possible details are set forth in Conversation 2A - Time in All Creation Before Sin and the Ministry of Christ concerning the six days described by Moses in Genesis 1.

So why did God withdraw his glorious light in devastation of the eternal\perpetual, heavenly Eden of his beautiful garden of the past creation? Several Scripture describe the dark influence of one who changed at least a part of the "beautiful gardens" of God’s kingdom. Revelation details that even later, the "enemy" sowed weeds in God’s field tilled within the dark creation of this angel’s temporary domain. As mentioned above, Satan and others made a tragic decision sometime after their creation. This mental error took place before the historical creation of Genesis in recording the history of people's purpose in God’s plan. As Satan oversaw the material/substance kingdom, he began to peddle or trade something new to other creatures who served God there. He introduced a concept and idea that had never before entered the heart of a creature of God’s kingdom. The created decided and persuaded others in heaven that he was equal with the Creator. Isaiah also topologically speaks about this disastrous choice (Isaiah 14:12-14; cf. Rev 12:3-4).

The heart represents predetermined choices that direct the actions of an individual. Satan's choice was to forsake the will of his creator. He left his post in heavenly Eden. His purpose was to journey to God's place of dwelling in heaven. There he would establish a throne of rule over others in God’s creation. The description "the mount of assembly" refers to the collection of God’s servants in heaven.

Satan expected to receive more than leadership oversight and subjects for his own will. He wanted the reverence and worship deserved by an honorable creator. The "sacred mountain" symbolically in Scripture depicts God’s government. Satan would hold the highest position in a place of a government of his own in the upper realm of heaven above the material/substance creation of his assignment. The "tops of the clouds" symbolize the elements of God’s kingdom of the heavens not seen from the material/substance location. Satan was not satisfied with his service in heavenly Eden. He felt He could break free from God's will, and like God, obtain power, subjects, service, worship, and reverence, like the Most High. The One God would now be two gods in separate kingdoms in heaven. If successful, God would multiply and divide in polytheism.

Biblical revelation tells how some of the angels and stars of God listen to the arguments of his aspirations and agree with him. The "stars" are a description of God’s angels based on their appearance of light. Unfortunately when Satan sinned, these angels followed these new sinful ideas. In describing historically the ruling power of the devil, the Apostle John shows he held influence over "a third of the stars." He, according to Isaiah, negatively influenced others, and "laid low the nations!" These angels had been "flung to the earth," and from there assisted him in his evil desires for establishment of self will. Satan achieved his goal for a kingdom, but that of darkness without the life-giving light of God. In protection of his dark domain on earth, he attempted to hinder God’s plan of redemption through a messianic seed through the nation Israel to bring forth the birth of his Son as flesh. These angels, as the demons of today, continue to follow the evil philosophy of self-first against any work on earth following God's law, of others before self and God's will as above all.

In Ezekiel’s account of this time he told how Satan, much like a politician, went from angel to angel persuading them to follow his scheme. No creation of God was spared the reasons for joining his aspirations of being a God. A heart filled with honor toward pleasing his only deserving creator, who gave him power and ability, turned to only thoughts of the greatness of himself. He was beautiful, wise with great splendor in comparison to others in the current kingdom of the heavens.

As his mind turned more inward to self-pride of personal honor, it overflowed with violence in his heart against the duties that God had for him (1 Tim 3:6-7). He could be greater, and deserved greater, than the place given him. In the first steps of rebellion by a creature of God, he began to murder the character and wisdom of God’s purpose of humbly serving others more than self. As Jesus said, he was a "murderer from the beginning" revealing his intent to malign his creator to accomplish his desires of self-fulfillment. He lied, promising better things than offered by their creator by launching out in freedom to do as one pleased. Jesus calls him a "liar from the beginning" and "father of all lies." No doubt Satan felt he was cheated and mistreated. He was made for more and greater tasks. He could be a God, and make things different where creatures of heaven could serve themselves, instead of others more than self, thus changing the very truth of laws that God established to rule his kingdom (Matt 20:24-28). He was "filled with violence" signifying a new philosophy in which harm of others by ones actions is acceptable as long as one's goals to please self are met. Thus was born the ideology "only the strong survive."

A portion of the nations of heaven listened and considered this new ideology of self above Creator and others (Ezek 28:15-17). Some chose to follow in this attempt at a new order in heaven for new perceived greatness. Those with God would serve others in stable Divine laws that allowed wonderful unity previously experienced for eternity past. For an eternity, greatness was serving others above self in fulfillment the will of their creator. Now, those with Satan, could finally do as they wanted, in whatever pleasures they desired, apart from always considering God’s will.

Angelic Conflict

Jeremiah mentions how God judged this sin, bringing ruin in the creation, as an example to the judgment that would come upon Israel and others who reject his will. God's response threw Satan from heaven to the earth. He never made it to a separate throne in heaven. An example was made of him before others of high rank in God’s kingdom. Just as today, where rebellion must be dealt with swiftly in a child, God quickly moved to isolate this enemy in heaven. Satan was cast to the earth. He authoritatively was forced out of heaven to a newly formed, dark, chaotic creation of the abyss.

As such, parts of spiritual heavenly Eden containing the beautiful garden of God, for the first time ever, became "formless…empty…and dark" (Gen 1:1-2). In God’s kingdom there must have been an incredible power of energy involved when God dealt with Satan and the other stars of heaven when wickedness was found. This was not a friendly disagreement tolerated by a God of pluralistic views allowing his creations to do as they please. As evidenced by other descriptions of heavenly conflicts, they are marked by elements of war very similar to war on earth but on a much different scale. Consider John’s revelation of a future description of a heavenly disagreement when Satan is cast from the paradise of the second heaven to the earth in the middle of the Tribulation just before Jesus return (Rev 12:7-9).

God calls this future disagreement and resulting conflict a "war." Two disagreeing parties "fought." John clearly identifies the instigator of this war will be "hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." This angel will use all his strength to win. John says, "he will not be strong enough" to defeat "Michael and his angels." As powerful as this angel is described in Scripture, the force involved in the altercation of these angels must be great. Angels wield immense power to destroy massive cities and thousands of people without great effort on earth. It is hard to imagine creations with this much power contending with each other on a heavenly scale.

As another example, Jesus was an eyewitness of the past war in heaven when Satan acted upon the thoughts of his heart. As the seventy-two ministers rejoiced over their newfound power to cast out demons, Jesus told them of his experience with Satan in the past (Luke 10:17-19).

Consider again Jesus's words,

Satan, as "lightening," was both cast down falling from his attempted enthronement in the heaven of God and hurled to the newly created, chaotic form of the abyss of the earth of that day described in Gen 1:1-2. This expulsion by God was not to our current earth, later created over six days from the substance/material of darkness recorded in Genesis 1. The description of lightening illustrates the brightness and noise of thousands of volts of electricity passing through the air from heaven in a tremendous release of energy. Imagine the flash and thunderous power. Imagine an explosion on a scale that would make our nuclear fission just a ripple from a pebble dropped in water. The verbs that God uses to describe his actions of authoritative force against this rebellion are all words of intense energy– drove, expelled, threw, hurled, cast, fought, fall, lightning, and war.

Angelic Trial, Sentence, and Chains of Darkness

The new philosophy introduced quickly incurred judgment by God. Jesus in words of his prayer to the Father remembered Satan's experience of a heavenly trial where sentenced. Jesus called him "prince of this world" where the word translated "prince" is the same word that Paul used as a referent translated "ruler" in Eph 2:1-2 above. Jesus  reminds the Father how Satan "has been condemned" (John 16:11).

Consider Jesus's words,

The word " has been condemned" refers to an the official sentencing  of a trial decision. The Greek perfect participle describes an action in time past that still has effect in the present time of the speaker. What was historical past for Jesus is still historical past for us. The situation has not changed. Satan is a condemned angel even today, so some translations understandably add the word "now" to convey the meaning implied in the Greek language.

Descriptions from Scripture picture that those guilty received a trial with judgment and sentencing, much like our current justice systems of the governments of this world. After physical conflict, the offenders were apprehended, tried, sentenced, and condemned by the judgment of God. Further, we find Satan and his followers were then incarcerated and contained away from the presence of God to be held until final punishment is passed later.

The marauders were purposefully imprisoned from his glorious light and were thrust into darkness of the abyss used later for this present earthly creation, to await a great day when their sentence will be completed with an execution where they are cast into what is called the Lake of Fire. We find in Scripture these fallen angels have already been told of the time they will receive the final communion of their completed judgment.

The theology of popular Christianity misses the full meaning of the Bible description of these events and the current situation of fallen angels. For example, this is seen in the use of the phrase "cast them into hell" in application of a current existing hell as the domain of these beings today. Post reformation theology does not deal well with the concept of fallen angels, who are currently in a bondage of darkness under guard awaiting punishment. Also, popular folklore and myth often interfere with clear understanding of just what God's Word says about the current location, limitations, and activity of Satan and the other stars of God, until they are cast into the Lake of Fire. So just where is this bondage of darkness and just what kind of prison are these offenders of God currently living? Could it be that our darkness of this separated universe is their darkness apart from God? Are not we told over and over in Scripture that these beings are here in our present world, still active in matters of the kingdom of God? So, if 2 Peter 2:4 is right, does that mean our world is "hell"? The answer is clearly yes, since as we shall see, the angels are not in a separate location of "hell" today. Hell is a non-biblical term added by translators of the seventeenth century that does help in understanding the current destiny of evil in people at death - but was wrongly applied to fallen angels as a separate domain from our present dark world.

What are the main stumbling blocks to proper understanding today's  location of the bondage of darkness? It  is the belief concerning an ideology of Genesis Eden perfection intertwined with confused traditions of truth and fiction handed down through the ages about the current place of departed spirits of people. The traditional Christianity teaching concerning Genesis perfection led believer's down the pathway of the following thoughts: 1) They deduced, if the world God created was perfect before people’s sin, then logically, it would not also be the habitat of sinful creations of God's past. Also 2), if fallen angels were there, it would not be perfect. Therefore 3), the place of fallen angels must have been assigned elsewhere. With these simple deductions, people began to look elsewhere in God's Word for places that fallen angels might currently abide, besides here in the cosmos where people live.

Scripture describing people’s destiny after death were then handily used to fix the assignment of angels, so as not to encourage a Genesis Eden world with both evil and good coexisting before the sin of people. The adherents of this popular theology forget, as discussed more in mapping conversation Conversation 5A - The Tree of Life Before Adam's and Eve's Sin, that God's kingdom at the time of people’s creation was already experiencing evil and it's consequences with direct access to life in heaven at natural death of the flesh. The earth was also a dark world separated from the light of God with substitute lights from the Genesis 1 inception. So, rather than let a few unexplained facts deter supposed good teaching about the supposed perfect world God made, hell then became a different assignment for these evil ones. This errant general understanding is always present at every level of life in Christian based cultures. Cartoons depict Satan in hell with flames of fire and evil doers serving him in torments of various kinds. Humor, songs, fiction, and poetry always mention the devil in hell in conservation with those deceased. Even in cursing, during violence in conflict with others, anger experiences in evaluation of evil lives, one finds popular phrases like "Go to Hell!," "See you in Hell," and "They split Hell wide open," along with others. People just seem to understand in Hell that they will live with the devil who resides there. The problem is, like so many things of popular Christian beliefs, this is just not what God's Word actually teaches.

So what did Peter really say and mean by use of the word often translated "hell"? He, in 2 Peter 2:4 above, used a common Greek word of his day that referred to the mythological destiny of anything rebellious and wicked by higher powers to the Greek mythological concept of a dark underworld called Tartarus to describe God's imprisonment of angels waiting for their execution day. It is the only place used in the New Testament (NT) or the Greek translation of the Old Testament (OT) called the Septuagint (LXX). It must be remembered that Greek cosmology of the day believed in non-heliocentric views of their universe with the earth at the center and untold depths of darkness below the earth that they called Tartarus. A writing by an early Greek around 700 BCE named Hesiod told of the founding of the gods of Greek mythology. In it, Zeus binds the Titans, who rebel against him in chains and the earth is brought to severe chaos. A Greek named Aeschylus, in one of his dramas written about five hundred years before Peter's time, ". . . relates that Apollo overcame the Python by force; therefore the earth endeavored [tartaroosai], to cast him into Tartarus."  Lucian, a writer about one hundred years after Christ from Syria, shows the common understanding of Peter’s day of Tartarus as "the bounds of this material system of our universes." These and other ancient Greek sources show the concept of Tartarus as a bondage in darkness that was as common in Peter's culture as our English word hell today is in our Christian culture.  Peter's word picture of his day implied that the angels were thrust down to darkness like the tradition of Tartarus in his day. Because 2000 years later, readers have no understanding of Tartarus, our modern English translators use our ideas of hell to convey a similar meaning. Peter by use of this word actually is not describing a literal place for angels, as much as use of the mythological idea in the word to illustrate an action a higher power casting down to the dark place of the abyss. Thus, an accurate translation to maintain Peter's intentioned meaning would be use of the words "thrust down" for the Greek term and omission of the more modern cultural term of hell.

King James Version (KJV) translators in conceptual theological error adopted from their own Anglo-Saxon folklore the idea of hell to translate in seventeenth-century England an understanding of the concept.  The word hell is derived from the Saxon "helan," which means "to cover" with sense to "the covered or the invisible place." It was used of a hollow or pit in the earth. It generally refers to this world that does not shine with brightness in appearance to those in heaven. From heaven, it is dark and invisible. For nearly 400 years this incorrect tradition has continued as seen in many modern translations as in the phrase "casting them into hell." Today, hell generally is thought as a literal suffering burning place of torments as the location of all wicked of people at death who fail to do God's will, by faith in the offering of his Son for their personal sin. The interpretational error is not including fallen angels as now in the same hell as people not allowed into heaven by Jesus at judgment.

It must be remembered these concepts of Tartarus, hell, the Greek Hellenistic concept of Hades, or the Hebrew Sheol for the grave, are traditional concepts of myth and legend that have evolved among societies over the ages and are not literal God given terms and ideas in his house of plural heavens and the earth. They are a mixture of inspired fact and legend handed down over several thousand years. By design, past societies, to encourage moral values, promoted the idea of the wicked doomed to dark places of imprisonment and torment. Such thoughts were handed down through generations back to early civilization as knowledge of truth blurred when facts were intermixed with folklore and legend.

So, is there a literal "hell" created by God? The answer is yes, but God does not call it only by that name and he does not tell us in his Word that the devil and fallen angels are separated apart from the dark cosmos from people in hell today as outside of heaven. Modern confusion comes by application of the term "hell" as separate for both angels and certain unbelieving deceased of evil mankind. The current location of the deceased souls of unbelievers in Christ and the fallen angels are not two different places in God's design for his kingdom. The Bible teaches that after death, the spirits of believers in Jesus as personal Savior, also neither experience what is called Hades (Luke 16:23), nor Hell or Tartarus but were moved from Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22) at the resurrection of Christ from the cross into heaven before his fleshly resurrection (Heb 2:9-18). More is said about Hades, as all creation outside of the holy of holies of heaven, in mapping Conversation 5B - Old Testament Limited Heavenly Access by Faith in Promise of Christ, as the place of complete, departed, departed, bodily spirits when Jesus died on the cross. These are different from the term Jesus used from popular traditions of  his day, called Gehenna, to relate to his listeners truth about this place of eternal fire apart from God. Hades or Sheol refer to a intermediate place that will be cast into the Lake of Fire according to Revelation 20:14. As discussed a little more later in this mapping conversation, the Lake of Fire is also the destiny of the angels in the Great Day of judgment to come.

The idea conveyed considers that this bondage of darkness is as a pit or hollow in the ground with no light. Try as they may these angels cannot get to the top of this pit to the light of God's kingdom and the presence of God. These angels are chained to the darkness of this present separated creation and cannot escape (cf. Jude 6)

Satan was an "angel of light" before his fall today known as "the prince of this world." While he attempted after his own desires to have his own kingdom, no doubt he did not receive what he expected. No one in the creation now literally sees Satan as "light" in awesome splendor and beauty. He only deceives the world with false beauty in his new philosophical ideals (2 Cor 11:14). As well, he no longer can enjoy the light, beauty, and permanence of the glory of God. God did, in a way, create a temporary kingdom for him and fellow angels. A kingdom of darkness, which to the surprise of many, is the same universe that people now live until transformed into spiritual bodies at death

What happened to Satan's power and light energy when thrown to the earth? Satan lost his light energy that God created for Him.  Einstein gave us the equation showing the relationship of energy to mass and light. We know it as E=mc². When the devil’s light, in God’s judgment, was changed to energy it must have been enough to destroy vast parts of heavenly Eden of eternity past. Note how just a little exposure to light can cause sunburn. What about when the power of the fallen angels created light and power was translated to energy? This was not a friendly disagreement where they nicely left town to prevent a schism in heaven.

By this flash of destruction in heavenly Eden, the beautiful garden of God is probably what we see today scientifically as the remnants of the big bang. Scientists, who view the expanding universe from an apparent explosion of energy, wonder how it could have happened. God’s description of angelic fall and violent expulsion, just may be the explanation for what is theorized by science today. More is theorized from Scripture about the direct results of Satan's expulsion upon the substance/material creation of the earth or Eden in mapping Conversation 2C - God's Promise of Christ Before the Tabernacle of the Eternal-Places Creation and  Biblical Mapping of the Revelation of Jesus as the Christ  that visually maps the story of God's kingdom and redemption.

Angelic Anger

Restricted from the Father’s domain of the holy of holies of the heaven, Satan is currently free to wander the heavenly holy place and around this earthly cosmos until his appointed time of judgment. The devil is figuratively in hell. Hell is not his present domain as many comics and stories might make us believe. Outside of God's domain of heaven, Satan continues to contend against everything in the creation that might glorify God. He even can enter the created dimension of the Second Heaven below God’s throne. There he converses with the Lord (Job 1:6-12) and makes accusations against saints. He, while judged in Christ’s death and resurrection for sin, will continue his railing until the command for Jesus to return at the second coming for another ministry on earth (John 16:11). As shown in mapping Conversation 8 - Jesus's Second Coming to Earth for the Living, the first act of Jesus's return is the angel Michael removing Satan from access to the holy place heaven (Rev 12:7-12). This location, in the clouds at the interface of the first and second heaven, is where all the saints of the ages will assemble in preparation for coming to the earth for the deliverance of Israel in the flesh and the establishment of a thousand-year reign in the Day of the Lord for a final harvest of people on the earth by the gospel.

So, for a time the devil has a kingdom as ruler of this dark world (John 14:30). Gospel accounts even allude to him with enough control during the life of Jesus Christ to offer Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would but worship him (Matt 4:8-10). He gave Jesus opportunity to follow his philosophy of self above creator and to have all he created for Himself without having to die or present it back to God in unity at the end of the age (1 Cor 15:20-28). Jesus's response was clear that his choice was to follow the laws of God's kingdom as shadowed in the laws given by Moses to Israel. 

Since God cannot fellowship with even the smallest sin, ee separated himself from Satan and his angels by casting them to the earth. From the moment of his choice, Satan has found himself contained apart from the glorious light of God. He forgot the very source of all his power, wisdom, splendor, and beauty was God. God could remove it at will.

God in glory, except in human form of Jesus and as Spirit, has not entered this domain of the creation since Satan's fall. The details of this separation are discussed in mapping Conversation 2C - God's Promise of Christ Before the Tabernacle of the Eternal-Places Creation in the picture of the tabernacle. Today, God abides in what Paul calls the "third heaven," patterned after the holy of holies. The Cherubim always continue to protect his purity and holiness keeping Satan watched under guard in the lesser holy heaven or the dark creation of our universe. Satan, as told in the book of Job, may approach below or before the throne in the lesser heaven and converse with the Lord, until removed at the beginning of God’s wrath upon the earth in the Great Tribulation. These Cherubim are always separating Satan from the presence of the Father. Jesus as Savior intercedes for sinners that come to God through Him until He is sent from the Father to return to the earth. Praise the Lord! One day the tabernacle of God will be with men again in the New Heaven and The New Earth as God becomes one again with his creation (Rev 21:3).

As taught by Jesus in the parable of the wheat and weeds,God did not immediately completely destroy the material creation when sin was found. Eden the beautiful heavenly garden of God’s eternal love was not reduced to nothing in utter destruction. He allows good and evil to coexist in a battle until the harvest of every possible person is ready and completed. Thus, Satan still works as a merchant of evil sowing wickedness of self until the last soul of this creation is redeemed. At the appointed time, God sends angels to reap this harvest.

Many Scripture speak of the current battle between good and evil in the dark creation. A great struggle of engagement rages each and every day. Satan now rules this dark world only because God allows this for a short time until final sentencing. The challenges of war cries, warnings, and battle orders ring from God’s Word in exhortation of the children of God. God wants his readers to understand the real enemy and how to fight against him day today. As Paul wrote, he spoke of this battle and the child of God’s armor (Eph 6:10-14).

While he yet can, Satan prowls a now dark world looking for opportunities to fill his belly with the destruction of anything that belongs to God . He is like an angry caged animal that has been captured. Note Peter’s description of Satan's methods (1 Pet 5:8-10). Peter understood him to be like a caged lion one might see at a zoo or captured in a pit. Lions pace back and forth in frustration and roaring, while looking for an opportunity to lash out upon anyone who gets to close. He and  his demons abide in this darkness until the day of appointed judgment in heaven when they will be sentenced to the punishment of eternal fire.

Satan uses all possible means to frustrate the plans of God. Bible examples are seen in the cosmic dimension of this world, the spiritual dimension of the angelic world now unseen, and even before the throne of God day and night. Scripture shows how he uses men for his selfish causes (John 13:2, 27).

In the parable of the sower, the Bible teaches that this enemy uses every method possible to keeping God’s message of a new coming kingdom from reaching the hearts of men on earth (Matt 13:18-23). Even God’s children are even influenced by the evil one as they serve the Lord. As great as the Apostle Peter was in God’s service, he still experienced the influence of Satan as he expressed the desires of self will above the will and purpose of God regarding the necessary sacrificial death of our Lord (Matt 16:21-23). In fighting and conflict among believers the philosophy of Satan and self will above God and others is the main root problem.

This angel of God gone astray is still active in resistance of God's will. While contained and condemned he has not surrendered to the will of the Father. Not only can he influence God's servants to follow his ways but he also can delay angelic answers to prayers and work in the Lord. Daniel had to wait for the understanding he sought until the powers of angelic beings settled the purpose of God (Dan 10:12-14). As well, Paul was kept from going to meet with the church at Thessalonica (1 Thess 2:18).

Satan is credited as responsible for much illness in the world suffered by people (Luke 13:10-17). As an emergency room physician, one quickly finds the devil's philosophy of self fulfillment in worldly pleasure often leads to physical, mental, and emotional damage to self and others. Also the innocent suffers at the hand of the evil hearts patterned after their "Father the devil" in lies and murder of the blessing of other for self gain. At times generations endure the consequences of these decisions for self. God promises one reaps what he sows. Further the sins of the fathers affect the sins of the children for three to four generations to follow. Selfish thoughts and actions lead to much of the physical maladies suffered by man and innocent others to follow.

While Satan is allowed to propagate his theology of self first to the world, all is not lost. All evil allowed by God is always used for the greater good. While the devil now rules the dark world today, God is still in ultimate control. Every time Satan or those who follow his path does something for self-reaping harm, God uses it for his ultimate victory to accomplish his purposes. The evil of Satan and demons of the world always works for the greater good. For example, Paul's inability to go to Thessalonica gave us the letter that he sent, which we have today as part of our NT. All evil serves as heavenly sermons or preparation for future opportunities. The world’s evil thoughts, events, and actions point mankind toward the promises of the light of God in eternal life in a New Heaven and New Earth that will last forever instead of focusing on the things of this temporary dark world (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28).

Angelic Judgment of Great Day

The evil now contained in this world will be judged at God’s appointed time. The sentence will be carried out in just seven days whereby God would redeem his beautiful garden of Eden back to his glory. Due to the time difference between the Father’s House and our separated, dark creation, one might think God’s judgment is not swift. While unknown ages in man’s spherical rotations around the sun, God’s judgment and sentence is carried out over one week in his heavenly time (2 Pet 2:4; 3:8). This phenomenon of variation in heavenly and earthly time is described further in mapping Conversation 2A - Time in All Creation Before Sin and the Ministry of Christ and chart Biblical Mapping of the Revelation of Jesus as the Christ.

Until then, the angels who forsook God’s will are reserved in the chains of the darkness of this present temporary creation. They are guarded here kept from reentering the fellowship and presence of God in the holy of holies of heaven. Understanding the modern meaning of the word hell to mankind, the adage "Hell on earth" may be true for the fallen angels. Hell, while not a true Biblical word, represents any place separated from the presence and glory of God (Matt 25:41; 2 Thess 1:9). The end of angels and those of earth that refuse God’s loving plan is described more fully mapping Conversation 6B - The Lake of Fire for All Temporary or Sinful Creation.

From Scripture, the darkness now experienced apart from the glorious light of God was not intended as part of some intended original progression of an unfinished creation eventually interrupted by the sin of people. It is highly egocentric for man to believe the choice of Adam and Eve separated all creation from the fellowship and light of God. The darkness of Genesis was not part of the natural process of God’s creative acts. It resulted from action of God but not as a blessing upon the creation.

The light (God himself) of the creation was willingly turned out long ago in God’s wisdom and judgment upon sin until the fulfillment of times greater purpose – the redemption of all creation from the rulership of Satan in his temporary dark kingdom. God accomplishes this through the creation of people, procreation with people by the Holy Spirit, and ultimate crucifixion in a Savior, as seen in mapping  Conversation 1 - Introduction to the Ministry of Christ. In mapping Conversation 12 - End of the Age/Everything New believers will see God’s light again filling all the creation as one in Jesus Christ. The light of God will be something heavenly to behold as his children in Christ enjoy the salvation of God in eternal life.

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