Biblical Concept: Angelic Conflict, Manner of
Resolution
Question: Why is God
resolving the Angelic Conflict
in the manner that He is? Why did God
not just eliminate from existence the rebellious Angels after offering them a
chance to reconsider their actions?
Answer:
In eternity past, Satan and his angels successfully maligned God. They have portrayed Him as a liar[1]
(Genesis 3:1-5), bias
(Job 1:10), not
really their creator (see Biblical Concept: Evolution, a scheme of the Devil?), restrictive
(Genesis 3:5), and unwise
(Ephesians 3:9-10).[2]
For the sake of God’s integrity, and as a
witness to elect angels, God did not summarily eliminate from existence the
rebellious angels.
Answer: To counter
successful eternity past accusations against God’s status and character, by Satan and his angels, God, in
the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, became lower than angels and defeated
Satan and his angels in their own territory.[3] See Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 10:12-13,
Colossians 2:15,
1 John 3:8, and 1
Peter 3:22. God utilized the paradox of humility and
aggression to document the error of those who maligned Him--and justly condemned
them.
Answer: Rather than perform
an annihilation of Satan and his angels, God created a repository (a lake of
fire) apart from the righteous new heavens and earth. This repository acts as an eternal reminder
of the subjective-accusative-volitional-rebellion by the volitional creatures God
created.
Hebrews 2:14 Since then the
children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the
same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of
death, that is, the devil;
NAS Hebrews 10:12 but He, having offered one
sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting
from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
NAS Colossians 2:15 When He had disarmed the
rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over
them through Him.
NAS 1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of
the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared
for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
NAS 1 Peter 3:22 who is at the right hand of
God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been
subjected to Him.
NAS
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which
the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said,
'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to
the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but
from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said,
'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.' " 4 And the serpent
said to the woman, "You surely shall not die! 5 "For God knows that
in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil."
NAS
Job 1:10 "Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that
he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his
possessions have increased in the land. (Satan addressing God.)
NAS
Ephesians 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery
which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that
the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the
rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
NAS
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to
the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Note Revelation 20:7-8.
NAS
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation,
and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have
come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them
before our God day and night.
NAS
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit,
be on the
alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour.
NAS
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be
released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are
in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for
the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
[1] NAS John 8:44 “You are of your father
the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for
he is a liar, and the father of lies.”
The liar Satan practices projection toward God.
[2]
Recall these descriptions and titles for Satan: accuser (Revelation 12:10), adversary (1 Peter 5:8), deceiver (Revelation 12:9),
Devil (Dia,boloj = slanderer), Satan (Satana/j = resister).
[3]
NAS Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its
glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”
The humility of God handed the visible universe to fallen Angels. The aggression of God will condemn the fallen
angels for the evil manner in which they governed the universe.