As we shall see, there was an original “fall from heaven” when the conflict between the Devil and God began, and there is a future war in heaven when the Devil and his angels will be “cast out of heaven to the earth.”

The ORIGINAL FALL FROM HEAVEN:   In Isaiah 14:12-15 we read, “How YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit” (NKJV). If you compare this passage with Ezekiel 28:11-17 you will see that Lucifer was the wisest and most beautiful angel (called “the Anointed Cherub” in verse 14) of all but he became “lifted up with pride” because of his wisdom and beauty. This led him to desire to “be like the Most High” (like God!) and to “sit on His throne” as the supreme ruler over everything. Because of his rebellion against God, he lost his position of power; he had “fallen from heaven” and was “cut down to the ground.” From that point on he was no longer called “Lucifer” but “the Devil and Satan” (see Revelation 20:2). I believe this “fall from heaven” took place BEFORE the Devil deceived the woman in the Garden of Eden. The fact that the Devil, who is also called “the SERPENT” (see Genesis 3:1-4, 14 with 2nd Corinthians 11:3), tempted the woman to sin, is proof that he had already sinned by rebelling against God. Prior to his sin against God we are told, “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, TILL INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN YOU” (Ezekiel 28:15). Being “perfect” he would never have tempted the woman to sin, but AFTER he sinned, he tempted the woman to commit the very sin he had committed, for he said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). As we saw, Lucifer wanted to “be like the Most High” and in the Garden he planted that same sinful desire in the woman!

The FUTURE FALL FROM HEAVEN: In Revelation 12:7-9 we read, “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So, the great dragon was cast out, that SERPENT of old, called the DEVIL and SATAN, who deceives the whole world; HE WAS CAST TO THE EARTH, and HIS ANGELS WERE CAST OUT WITH HIM.” This passage looks on to the Seven-Year Tribulation Period which will take place after the Rapture of the Church. God will then resume His dealings with the nation of Israel and cause His judgments (described in great detail in Revelation chapters 6-19) to fall on the earth. This “war in heaven” takes place in the middle of the Tribulation and after the Devil and his angels are defeated, they are “cast to the earth” where they will be allowed to persecute the Jews for 3 ½ years (see Revelation 12:6 and 10-17). Notice, it is in this passage that we learn of the Devil “and his angels.” We can rightly assume that they followed Lucifer in his rebellion against God and some believe it was ONE-THIRD OF ALL THE ANGELS based on Revelation 12:4, “His (the DRAGON) tail drew A THIRD OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN and threw them to the earth.” We read of these “fallen angels” in many portions of Scripture and right now they are living in the atmospheric heavens right above us, along with their Prince, the Devil. The Devil is called the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2 and his angels are referred to in Ephesians 6:12 which says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS of this age, against SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS in the HEAVENLY PLACES.”  (DO)  (497.1)