The Fall of Lucifer
Bob Yandian
“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” Hebrews 12:22
Heaven is filled with angels, so many they cannot be numbered. All of them—every rank, every class, every single one—were created by God. Angels are not former people. They are a separate created race of beings.
But although they were created by God, they were also created with something else: a will. Angels can choose. And at one point in eternity past, every single angel had to make a one-time, eternal decision—stay with God or follow rebellion. A third of them chose to go with Lucifer. Two-thirds chose to stay with God. The ones that fell can never return. The ones who stayed can never cross over. It was a one-time, eternal choice.
The Ranks of Angels in Heaven
The Bible gives us glimpses into the ranks and order of angels. Heaven is not chaotic; it is organized.
Cherubim – These are the highest-ranking angels. God is called “the One who dwells between the cherubim.” They surround His throne and guard His holiness. Not that God needs protection, but His holiness is so awesome that nothing unworthy can approach.
Seraphim – These beings have six wings and fly through heaven crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!” They continually announce the holiness and glory of God.
Michael the Archangel – Michael is called “the archangel” and appears to be the commander of the armies of heaven, God’s military leader over angelic hosts.
Chief Princes – Under Michael are chief princes. Gabriel is one of these. He is God’s great messenger, sent with major announcements—such as the birth of Jesus.
Rank-and-File Angels – These are the angels most involved in human affairs. They have no wings. The Bible says we can “entertain angels unawares.” If someone walked up to you in a suit with giant wings sticking out, you would be very aware something was different! These angels can appear in human form. They were the ones who came to Sodom and Gomorrah to rescue Lot, and they struck the wicked men blind.
The Angel of the Lord – This title refers to the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. Before He was born in Bethlehem, He would often appear as “the Angel of the Lord,” carry out a mission, and then disappear.
At one point, Lucifer stood above all these ranks
Lucifer: The Anointed Cherub That Covers
Lucifer was not always the devil. He was created as the highest-ranking cherub, directly under the Godhead. If you could list heaven’s order, it would look like this:
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Lucifer, the anointed cherub that covers
God took one of the cherubim and gave him a special position and anointing. He was called “the anointed cherub who covers.” He ruled over all the angels under God’s authority. He was Heaven’s worship leader, Heaven’s administrator, Heaven’s chief representative to the angelic host.
His name, Lucifer, means “light bearer.” Notice, he was not the light; he only bore the light. Jesus Christ is the light. Lucifer’s assignment was to reflect and carry that light—to bear witness to the goodness, glory, and majesty of God to all the other angels.
Where Sin Began: Iniquity Found in Him
Ezekiel 28:12-13 describes him as “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Every precious stone was his covering. Built into him were musical instruments—timbrels and pipes—prepared in him the day he was created.” He was a walking orchestra, beautifully adorned, brilliantly gifted, and perfectly positioned.
Ezekiel 28:15 says, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.”
Notice the wording: iniquity was found in you. God did not create sin. God did not create iniquity. He created a perfect being with a will, and that being chose to turn his will against God.
Isaiah 14:12–14 lets us look inside Lucifer’s heart:
“How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! … For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the Most High.”
Sin did not start with God; it started in the heart of an angel. Instead of looking at all God had given him to rule under the Godhead—an innumerable host of angels, beauty, authority, wisdom—he started looking up and saying, “I want that throne. I want to be like the Most High.”
He did not want to worship God; he wanted to replace God.
That is where sin began—pride, self-exaltation, the desire to overthrow God’s rightful rule.
The Love of Money and the Root of All Evil
“By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned.” Ezekiel 28:16
Trading is commerce, wealth is riches. All those precious stones, all that beauty, all that splendor went to his head. His fall was tied to the love of money and the power he thought it brought. This is why the Bible says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Not a root—the root. If you want to find the driving force behind much evil in the earth today—in governments, corporations, politics—follow the money trail.
Lucifer decided that if he could control the wealth and splendor of heaven and earth, he could challenge God Himself. Instead of seeing his position as a stewardship under God, he saw it as a platform to overthrow God.
The Fall to Earth and the Pre-Adamic World
Isaiah 14:12–15 says Lucifer was “cut down to the ground.” He fell from heaven to the earth.
The earth existed before Adam. Lucifer ruled from here in righteousness at first. Eden, the garden of God, was here long before Adam and Eve’s Eden. When Lucifer fell, darkness came upon the earth. Chaos followed his rebellion.
Genesis 1:1–2 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.” A better rendering is, “the earth became without form and void.” When did it become that way? At Lucifer’s fall.
We don’t know how long the earth sat in that condition—covered in darkness, judged because of rebellion. But then God began to re-create and restore. Out of that chaos, He brought order, light, and life. In the very place where Lucifer once ruled, God placed a new ruler—Adam. Man was created to do what Lucifer failed to do: rule the earth in righteousness under God.
From Lucifer to Satan: No Redemption for Fallen Angels
When Lucifer fell, he became Satan, the adversary, the accuser. A third of the angels chose to follow him. They became fallen angels, demons, principalities, and powers.
There is no redemption for Satan and no redemption for fallen angels. Their choice was one-time and eternal. They can never cross back over, and they will never want to. No matter how many times Satan loses, he still says, “I know I can do it.”
He has already been defeated at the cross. His sentence has not yet been fully carried out, but his fate is sealed. One day, at the end of the tribulation, he will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. After that, he’ll be released for a short season, still unrepentant, still rebellious, and finally cast into the lake of fire forever.
The Difference Between Angels and People
Here is the amazing difference between angels and us: Angels made a one-time choice and can never change it. Mankind fell in Adam, but we have been given a second chance in Christ.
Lucifer tried to be like God and fell. Adam and Eve tried to be like God and fell. Humanity fell with Adam; death passed upon all men. But where Lucifer and the fallen angels have no redeemer, we do.
Jesus is called “the last Adam,” not the second Adam—because there will never need to be another. He came, lived a sinless life, was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin, went to the cross, and bore our judgment.
When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are taken out of Adam and placed into Christ. In Adam, all die. In Christ, all are made alive.
Whose Side Are You On?
On judgment day, you will not be judged merely as an individual, but by who you are attached to. If you remain in Adam, you remain in death and separation from God. If you receive Jesus, you are attached to Him and receive eternal life.
Satan separated himself from God by his own will. He tempted Adam and Eve to do the same. You were born into that fallen condition. But Jesus came so you can be born again, taken out of Adam, and placed into Christ.
If you have never done that, you can do it right now. You don’t have to pray fancy words. Just say from your heart:
“Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my own way. I stop trying to run my own life. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Take your place on the throne of my life. I believe I am now a child of God.”
If you meant that, you have just moved out of Satan’s kingdom into God’s kingdom, out of Adam into Christ, out of death into life.
Satan’s Final End and Our Eternal Future
Right now, Satan is still called “the god of this world” and “the prince of this world.” But his time is short.
At the end of the tribulation, he will be cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years while Jesus rules the earth in perfect peace. The curse will be lifted. Nature will rejoice. The lion will lie down with the lamb, children will play safely near once-deadly animals, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
After those thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time, will once again try to overthrow God, and will fail—again. Fire will come down from heaven, and he will be cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet already are, to be tormented day and night forever.
Then will come the Great White Throne Judgment for all unbelievers and all fallen angels. Hell itself will be emptied into the lake of fire.
But for believers in Jesus Christ, a glorious eternity awaits. We will rule and reign with Him forever, joined by all redeemed saints of all generations and the elect angels who never fell. Heaven will descend to a renovated earth, the New Jerusalem will rest over it, and we will live in the presence of God forever and forever.
Friend, the fall of Lucifer shows us the horror of pride and rebellion—but also the greatness of God’s grace in giving mankind a second chance that angels never had.
Thank God we chose Jesus. Thank God we are no longer in Adam, no longer under Satan’s dominion, but seated with Christ in heavenly places.
We have an enemy, but he is a defeated enemy. We have a Savior, and He is a risen Savior.
