When Did Satan's Fall Occur? - Ministry Magazine

There is a question asked by many. Did Sa­tan's apostasy and expulsion from heaven take place before our world was created? The Scriptures do not reveal too much on this point, but sufficient is stated to enable us to get an an­swer.

The duration of man's primeval state of in­nocency was evidently very brief, for in Gen­esis 5:3 we read, that "Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son . . . and called his name Seth." Of the birth of this child we read that Eve "bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me an­other seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" (Gen. 4:25). Two things stand out clearly: (1) Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born, and (2) Seth was born after Cain had slain Abel.

Cain and Abel had already reached the age of accountability when they brought the offerings in worship to God. Their actual age is not re­corded, but they had become adults of respon­sibility. They could well have been twenty-five or thirty years of age when the crime occurred. That would make Adam's age about one hun­dred years before Cain was born. From this it would appear that mankind's plunge into sin took place very shortly after the world was created—at most one hundred years, probably even less, and certainly not more.

The Scripture indicates that when Lucifer rebelled against the government of God he led with him about one third of the angels (Rev­elation 12:4). As a result these rebels were all expelled from heaven. Just when this occurred in relation to the history of our planet is not revealed in Scripture, although the real cause of sin is clearly stated in such passages as Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. Ellen G. White makes some interesting statements bearing on this subject, some of which read like a para­phrase of the well-known Scriptures cited above. She says:

Satan was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ. . . . But when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God. Until this time all heaven had been in order, har­mony, and perfect subjection to the government of God.—Early Writings, p. 145.

Before the fall of Satan, the Father consulted His Son in regard to the formation of man They pur­posed to make this world, and create beasts and living things upon it, and to make man in the image of God, to reign as a ruling monarch over every living thing which God should create. When Satan learned the purpose of God, he was envious at Christ, and jealous because the Father had not consulted him in regard to the creation of man. . The envy and jealousy of Satan increased. Until his rebellion all heaven was in harmony, and perfect subjection to the government of God. Satan com­menced to insinuate his dissatisfied feelings to other angels, and a number agreed to aid him in his re­bellion.—Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 36.

Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven, the King declared that none but Christ, the only begot­ten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their hom­age and allegiance were due. Christ was still to ex­ercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God's plan, but would exalt the Father's glory, and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.—Pa­triarchs and Prophets, p. 36.