Many Christians believe that the fall of Satan from heaven to earth in Revelation 12:7–17 refers to either the fall of Satan before Adam and Even were created or the fall of Satan just prior to Jesus’ return. Both views are incorrect.
Satan’s fall from heaven in Revelation 12:7–17 happened at Jesus’ ascension. Satan’s role is to accuse God’s people of their sin (Rev 12:10). Because of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, Satan can no longer accuse God’s people of their sin, resulting in Satan’s expulsion from heaven.
The Role of Satan: Accuser of God’s People
The key to determining when Satan was expelled from heaven in Revelation 12 is the description of Satan that the heavenly voice gives him in 12:10. As soon as Satan is defeated and expelled from heaven, the voice from heaven declares “the accuser of our brothers . . . . who accuses them day and night before our God” has been cast down:
“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 brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”
REVELATION 12:10, emphasis added
The heavenly voice in Revelation 12:10 declares that Satan’s role is to accuse “our brothers,” who are God’s people. Thus, one of Satan’s roles is to accuse God’s people. I would argue that Satan’s chief role was to accuse God’s people.
But of what does Satan accuse God’s people? We find out from the Old Testament that Satan accuses God’s people of their sin. Let’s look at two passages that demonstrate Satan’s role is to accuse God’s people of their sin: Job 1–2 and Zechariah 3:1–5.
Satan’s Accusation of Job (Job 1–2)
In Job chapters 1–2, Satan travels the enter globe (1:7) presumably investigating the people on earth (1:8):
“The LORD said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’”
JOB 1:7–8, emphasis added; cf. 2:2–3
After travelling the globe, Satan presents himself before God: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them” (Job 1:6; cf 2:1). Notice that Satan is allowed to come into the presence of God.
And what does Satan do when in the presence of God? He accuses Job! Of what does Satan accuse Job? He accuses Job of fearing God solely because God has blessed Job materially and with good health (Job 1:9–11; 2:4–5). In short, Satan is accusing Job of one of the most heinous sins. Satan is accusing Job of not sincerely loving God and worshipping God. Rather, according to Satan, Job only fears God because God blesses him. Job’s faith, love, and fear is false. According to Satan, Job thinks God is a magic lamp and as long as you rub him the right way, he’ll give you whatever you want. But the minute God stops blessing Job, Job will turn his back on God. This is the sin of which Satan accuses Job—not truly loving and fearing God.
Satan’s Accusation of Joshua the High Priest (Zech 3:1–5)
In Zechariah 3:1–5, Satan accuses the high priest Joshua of sin:
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ And to him he said, ‘Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by.”
ZECHARIAH 3:1–5, emphasis added
Of what is Satan accusing Joshua? His Sin! Joshua’s filthy garments (literally faeces ridden garments) represent his sin, his iniquity; Joshua is covered head to toe in his sin. And Satan is standing right there next to him, in the presence of God, accusing him of his sin.
Why is Satan accusing Joshua to God? Because if Joshua is sinful, then God must kill him. The “wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). This is why God removes Joshua’s sin; so that he (God) does not kill Joshua. One way that Satan can attack God’s people is by accusing God’s people of their sin, thereby releasing God’s wrath upon them.
This is why Satan incited king David to sin by taking a census of Israel (1 Chron 21:1–6). Because of the census sin, God’s wrath lashed out against all Israel:
“But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.’ And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and say to David, “Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’ So Gad came to David and said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Choose what you will: either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.” Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”
1 CHRONICLES 21:7–12, emphasis added
Satan’s primary role is to accuse God’s people of their sin, inciting the wrath of God to come upon them and destroy them. Satan travels throughout the world taking note of the sin of God’s people, sometimes deceiving them to sin, and then enters into the presence of God to accuse God’s people of their sin so that God will lash out at them in his wrath.
The Reason for the Fall of Satan: He Can No Longer Accuse
Now that we know Satan accuses God’s people of their sin, we need to discern why Satan was expelled from heaven and what role Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension played in his expulsion, if any.
Jesus’ death on the cross, his resurrection, and his ascension into heaven once-for-all defeated Satan’s ability to accuse God’s people of their sin, thus removing God’s wrath from upon them, and resulting in Satan’s expulsion from the presence of God (from heaven) never to return. Allow me to show you from Revelation 12:8–11.
“but he [Satan] was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 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 brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they [God’s people] have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.’”
REVELATION 12:8–11, emphasis added
Satan is permanently cast out of heaven, out of the presence of God, because there is no place for him in heaven, in God’s presence, anymore.
Why is there no place in heaven for Satan? Because Satan has nothing to accuse God’s people of now that Jesus died, rose, and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Satan cannot accuse God’s people of their sin! In short, Satan no longer has a job!
Why is Satan no longer able to accuse God’s people of their sin? Because there is nothing to accuse God’s people of! Jesus’ death on the cross was a substitutionary atoning sacrifice that dealt with the sins of all God’s people once-for-all (click here for my article on that topic). Instead of God pouring out his wrath on his people (Christians), God poured it out on Jesus once-for-all (substitution). All the sins of God’s people—past, present, and future—have been forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross and because of belief in Jesus (his death and resurrection).
Not only are God’s people’s sins forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross, but Jesus ascended into heaven to be the High Priest and the advocate for God’s people, reminding God that he (Jesus) took the punishment for the sins of his people.
Do you see it now? Satan doesn’t have a job anymore! Satan’s primary role as accuser of God’s people has been made redundant. God booted Satan out of heaven because Satan no longer has a reason to enter God’s presence. There are no sins left of which Satan can use to accuse God’s people!
By dying on the cross and ascending into heaven, Jesus defeated Satan’s ability to accuse God’s people of their sin, which brought God’s wrath upon them. Satan can no longer say “this Christian has sinned against you, God; kill him!” because Jesus bore God’s wrath for that Christian and God forgave all his sin! Jesus defeated Satan at the cross by cutting off his ability to accuse God’s people, Christians like you and me, of sin! As a result, God cast Satan out of heaven.
Revelation 12:10–11 supports my argument that Satan was cast out of heaven at the ascension of Christ by linking Satan’s fall with the salvation offered through Jesus’ death and the believer’s testimony in Jesus.
“Now (1) the salvation and (2) the power and (3) the kingdom of our God and (4) the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they [God’s people] have conquered him [Satan] (5) by the blood of the Lamb and (6) by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
REVELATION 12:10–11, emphasis added
Satan’s defeat as accuser of God’s people came at the same time that
- The salvation of God came
- The power of God came
- The kingdom of God came
- The authority of God’s messiah, Jesus, came
- Jesus’ saving death came
- The ability of God’s people to believe in Jesus’ death for salvation came
Thus, to discern when Satan was expelled from heaven (from God’s presence), all we need to do is discern when the six gospel events that are described in Revelation 12:10–11 happened.
- When did the salvation of God come? 2,000 years ago when Jesus died, rose, and ascended.
- When did the power of God come? When did God show his power like never before and like he never will again? 2,000 years ago when Jesus died, rose, and ascended.
- When did the kingdom of God come? 2,000 years ago at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Matt 3:2; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43; 19:11–27).
- When did the authority of God’s Messiah come? 2,000 years ago when Jesus began his ministry and to a fuller extent when Jesus ascended into heaven to take his seat next to the Father (Eph 1:19–23; Heb 1:2–4).
- When did Jesus’ saving death come? 2,000 years ago on the cross.
- When were people able to believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection and receive the permanent forgiveness of sins and salvation (“the word of their testimony”)? 2,000 years ago just after Jesus rose from the dead.
When, then, was Satan expelled from heaven? 2,000 years ago when Jesus ascended into heaven because Satan no longer has anything to accuse God’s people of since their sins have been forgiven, making atonement between God and His people: “And they [God’s people] have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11).
Summary and Concluding Thoughts
Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, his resurrection, and his ascension, Satan can no longer accuse those who believe in Jesus of sin. Thus, Satan can no longer bring God’s righteous wrath upon God’s people. Jesus defeated Satan’s ability to incite God’s wrath against God’s people to destroy them because of their sin. Satan’s greatest weapon, sin, has been completely removed, resulting in Satan’s expulsion from heaven.
All Christians have peace with God. Salvation is here now because of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. And that peace will last forever, long after Satan has been cast into the Lake of Fire.
Finally, it should be noted that Revelation 12 is the ONLY place in the entire Bible that speaks about the fall of Satan. Contrary to popular opinion, Isaiah 14:12–17 and Ezekiel 28 do not speak about the fall of Satan, but about the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. Again, the ONLY place in the entire Bible that speaks about the fall of Satan is Revelation 12, and it clearly claims that Satan fell (was expelled) at Jesus’ ascension, 2,000 years ago.
