“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan); and the dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not; neither was THEIR PLACE FOUND ANYMORE IN HEAVEN (capitals mine). And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: HE WAS CAST OUT INTO THE EARTH (capitals mine), and his angels were cast out with him.”
Revelation 12:7-9
Did you know Satan TODAY is still in Heaven? I assume many may believe this war between Satan and the archangel of God, Michael, must have occurred earlier in ancient history as punishment for Satan and his demonic angels’ sins. As the Bible says in 1 John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” After all, we know Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and was able to get them to reject the Will of God to go ahead and eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This disobedience to God’s commandment introduced sin into the world! Prior to that time, life was good and sin free on the earth! Even God, when observing what He had Created in the 6 days of Creation, said “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was VERY (capitals mine) good.” – Genesis 1:31.
So, sin was initially introduced into God’s Perfect Creation by Satan and as a result the world was now imbedded with sin and depravity in direct conflict with God’s original intention. You would think as a result of this, Satan and his demonic followers would have been cast out of Heaven long ago. But, there are a number of writings in the Bible indicating Satan still has direct access to the Throne of God in order, in essence, to tell God how really bad and sinful mankind is. In fact, when Satan is finally cast down to earth, there will be great rejoicing in Heaven because his accusations will finally be finished.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHERN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT (capitals mine).”
Revelation 12:10
He has been accusing us before God day and night? This has been going on for a long time! The only way Satan can ever hope to redeem himself is to tell God how bad everyone else is! Perhaps one of the best examples of Satan’s constant access to the Throne of God in order to accuse and besmirch His people is recounted in the Book of Job. Here we have an excellent example of a righteous man who “…was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil.” – Job 1:1. God had Blessed Job with a large family and extreme wealth that made him one of “..the greatest of all men of the east.” – Job 1:3. Here we have an example of Satan’s direct access to the Throne of God and his ability to accuse the children of God of their sins.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, AND SATAN CAME ALSO ALONG THEM (capitals mine).”
Job 1:6
In the following verse we see where God asks Satan where did he come from, to which Satan replied “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” – Job 1:7. Not only do we see Satan’s presence in this earthly world but also his direct accessibility to the Throne of God! When God asks Satan if he “knows” His servant Job and how righteous he is, Satan basically responds “Of course, Job is good.” God had given him so much wealth, a good family, and many other Blessings. But then Satan tells God that if He took it all from him “…he will curse thee to thy face.” – Job 1:11. Satan is accusing Job of being righteous ONLY because God had Blessed him in so many ways! God, to prove Satan wrong, then allowed Satan to take those gifts away from Job. The only thing Satan was not allowed to do was to cause physical, bodily harm to Job. What happened next? Satan took Job’s wealth (oxen, asses, etc.) away him. Job’s servants were killed with the sword by the Sabeans. His fields were destroyed with fire. The Chaldeans took Job’s camels and killed those servants. Lastly, a “tornado” came and took down his home, killing his family. Did Job then curse God to His face?
No!!!
What did Job do after all these personal tragedies?
“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Job 1:20-22
Job proved his righteousness under adversity and never cursed God. But it wasn’t over! Even after being proven wrong, Satan again went up before God and said while Job did not curse God when these calamities hit him, it was ONLY because Job was not physically affected. Satan told God, if Job were to be affected physically “…he will curse thee to thy face.” Once again, God gave Satan the power to disrupt Job’s life physically without being able to see him killed. So in Job 2 we witness Job being smitten with “…sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.” While Job did mourn himself for ever having been born, he DID NOT curse God as Satan said he would. He later had many discussions with three “friends” who tried to convince him that God had forsaken him but in the end, Job accepted what God had allowed to happen and as a result, he was healed and his wealth was restored and in fact, doubled. And, Satan’s accusations AGAIN were proven false!
Can you imagine every day, day and night Satan is before God telling Him why you or I do not deserve a place in God’s presence? I am sure he would stay pretty busy just talking about all the sinful things I have done but he is telling God everything about each and everyone of us. Day and night! But, thankfully, that won’t last much longer! After all, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ.” – Romans 8:1. That would definitely apply to those Believers who are Raptured!
When exactly then will Satan FINALLY be thrown out of Heaven forever, no longer having direct access to God? Interestingly, the Bible is very clear when this will happen. If you follow the Book of Revelation you will notice it is pretty much (but not entirely) written chronologically. Since it was designed to be exclusively prophetic, it begins with John imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos in approximately 95 AD, roughly 62 years after the Crucifixion of Jesus. John proclaims in Revelation 1:1:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew his servants things which MUST (capitals mine) shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:”
The first 3 chapters gives us the direction the Christian Church will take until the Rapture occurs (Revelation 4:1). After that the world will go through the trials of God’s Wrath during the 7 year Tribulation period; the rule of the anti-christ; Satan’s defeat at Armageddon; the Second Coming of Christ and His 1,000 Millennium Reign on earth; the Great White Throne Judgement, and eventually Eternity, either in Heaven with Jesus or in Hell with Satan. In essence in the 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation we are given a preview of everything which will happen on this earth from the time of Christ’s Ascension after His Crucifixion to Eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Somewhere within this Book there must be an answer as to when Satan will be permanently thrown out of Heaven. There is!
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (3 1/2 years). And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) which brought forth the man child (Jesus).”
Revelation 12:12-13
First, the Rapture of the True Believers will occur which will leave only those still living on the earth WHO DID NOT BELIEVE in Jesus at the moment of the Rapture to go through the sufferings of the Tribulation. Many will convert and become Believers afterwards but they will then have to endure the Tribulation. If the Believers are no longer on earth, who will Satan accuse IF he had access to the Throne of God? But he will no longer have that ability to speak to God!? Of course if he could he would accuse those who deserve to be accused!
We know the Tribulation will begin with the signing of a “peace agreement” between Israel and the rest of the world. We are aware that midway through this 7 year period, the anti-christ WILL BE INDWELLED by Satan and will enter the rebuilt Jewish Temple and proclaim himself to be God and to worshipped as God. When this act, referred to as the Abomination of Desolation, happens, the Jews are told to leave Israel immediately. They are told to not go back to their homes and get either clothing or food but to exit the land ASAP!
“And he (anti-christ) Satan) shall confirm the covenant (peace treaty) with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (Abomination of Desolation), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it (the it Jewish Temple) desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Daniel 9:27
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (the rebuilt Jewish Temple), (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judea (Israel’s West Bank) flee into the mountains:
Matthew 24:15-16
“And the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1260 days, 42 months or 3 1/2 years).”
Revelation 12:6
Does this 3 1/2 length of time sound familiar?
“And there was given unto him (anti-christ/Satan) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and POWER (capitals mine) was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3 1/2 years).”
Revelation 13:5
I believe when these Scriptures (along with many others) are considered, the following time line for Satan’s FINAL expulsion from Heaven is very clear:
- Today, Satan has full access to the Throne of God to accuse all of mankind before Him day and night.
- After the Believers in Christ have been Raptured, only those who have rejected the Gift of Salvation of Jesus’s Sacrifice for their sins will remain on the earth.
- There will be a war in Heaven and Satan and his followers will finally be cast out of Heaven forever and onto the earth.
- God will give Satan 3 1/2 years to attempt to accomplish what Satan has always wanted to do, to be worshipped by man on earth as God.
- The 3 1/2 years BEGINS with the indwelling of the anti-christ by Satan at the Abomination of Desolation, midway through the 7 year Tribulation Period.
- Knowing his time is very short, Satan will unleash more terrible things on earth during the last half of the Tribulation than have ever been seen in the history of the world.
- Since the Jews have been given an eternal Promise from God, the anti-christ/Satan knows he must finally destroy the Jews in order to end their possession of God’s Promise to them. This is his last and only hope. But, they will be protected by God!
How does it end?
“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and SHUT HIM UP (capitals mine), and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
Revelation 20:2-3
I love it! Here we see God will “…shut him up”. Finally! Here we have a concise message from God Himself that specific events WILL happen exactly as He said they would regarding not only the Last Days, but the eventual, final punishment of Satan who has brought so much suffering on mankind throughout recorded history. If we believe in God and His Promise of Eternal Salvation by accepting the Sacrifice Jesus made for us, we SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID! WE SHOULD BE AWARE! “Whoso readeth; let him understand.” This is the task of this site, i.e., to make sure all are aware of the prophecies regarding the Last Days AND to comfort you with this fore knowledge. If you agree, please help me to do as we are ALL instructed to do and that is to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.”
May God Bless You!
This is one of your best writings! I am truly blessed by this truth. Hallelujah! The Redeemed KNOW the final chapter. Love Wins!
Amen…let it be so…