Name: Ryno
Question: Hi – I notice you say that satan is still being held in heaven by angel Michael, how does that compare to Christ’s words when He said He SAW satan fall from heaven like lightning? It must have happened earlier then than the END time? Please, I’d like to hear some on this matter. Thank you
Answer: Thank you for the question Ryno.
I will discuss the meaning of Luke 10:18, where Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” We will learn, Jesus was explaining Satan fell from his position of power, not that Satan was cast from Heaven.
I am going to explain, Satan freely roamed the earth for millennia until the time of Jesus. Today, the physical presence of Satan is bound in Heaven, until the “War in Heaven”. Then Satan and his angels will be cast out of it.
All right, let’s lay some groundwork, so I can bring it all together.
Jesus Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning From Heaven
We know Satan, the serpent was literally in the Garden of Eden, (Revelation 12:9). Then in Job 1:7; 2:2 we learn Satan went,
“To and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
Simply meaning, Satan had free reign on the earth in those days.
Satan Tempted Jesus
If we turn our Bible to Matthew 4:1-11, we read that Satan is still on earth at the time of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How could we forget the moment in time when Satan “tempted” Jesus in the wilderness?
Remember what Christ told Satan?
Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus told Satan, “get thee hence” which means “go away”. Since Christ’s statement, we do not find Satan’s physical presence on earth. Though we certainly find his spirit working through Judas and Peter, (Matthew 16:23, John 13:2, 27).
While that does not completely prove Satan is bound in Heaven, the great book of Revelation certainly does.
Please turn your Bible with me to,
The War In Heaven
Revelation 12:7
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
The “dragon” is Satan as verse 9 will explain.
Where does the “war” take place?
In Heaven.
Where is Satan then?
In Heaven, where Satan accuses us day and night before God, (Revelation 12:10).
When does the War in Heaven transpire?
The War in Heaven occurs literally moments before the Great Tribulation. This war is The Great Shaking that we read of in Mark 13:25, the shaking that was promised in Hebrews 12:26-27.
Naturally, Satan is the Tribulation, and without Satan on earth, there is no Tribulation. This is also the same event described in Daniel 12:1.
Revelation 12:8-9
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.9 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, and his angels were cast out with him.
The War in Heaven concludes once Satan is cast out of Heaven by Michael and his Angels. Immediately after that event, Satan will appear as the Antichrist on earth marking the beginning of the Tribulation.
So again, while Satan once walked the earth, he was removed from it during the time of Jesus. From that time forward, Satan has been bound in Heaven, and from Scripture, Satan is under the authority of Michael who is under God.
What Is The Meaning Of Luke 10:18?
So what was Jesus telling us then in Luke 10:18?
In Luke 10, Christ sent out teachers to various cities to spread His Word, providing them with spiritual wisdom.
Study and news with a fresh Christian perspective in your inbox.
Luke 10:17
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
The seventy men Christ sent out returned with joy as they were able to cast out “devils,” which are ‘evil spirits’ in the name of Jesus Christ. So our mind should be focused on our power over evil spirits in the name of Jesus Christ.
Before we read the next verse, ask yourself…
Who is the most wicked and evil spirit there is?
Luke 10:18
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Naturally, Satan is the most wicked and evil entity.
Hold that thought.
Jesus is not telling us, Satan suddenly fell from Heaven as He was talking to the seventy men.
Christ is explaining to us, He saw, He “beheld”, which means Jesus was a “spectator of” the fall of Satan from Heaven.
When did that occur then?
In “the world that then was”, (2 Peter 3:6).
During that time, Satan was “the anointed cherub that covereth” the very Throne of God, (Ezekiel 28:14). Satan sinned by rebelling against our Heavenly Father, Satan wanted to be God, and even take the Throne for his own, (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Satan was not literally cast from Heaven as punishment at that time, he simply fell from his position of power, Satan lost his power in Heaven. Satan will not be cast from Heaven by God and ‘laid before kings’ until Revelation 12:8-9 becomes a reality, (Ezekiel 28:17).
Further, Satan will not be ‘turned to ashes’ until the end of the Millennium, (Ezekiel 28:18, Revelation 20:10).
Additionally, we can glean from Luke 10:18 that Satan’s future appearance on earth will be “as lightning”, imitating the appearance of Jesus Christ, (Matthew 24:27). There is no new thing under the sun, and remember, Satan’s job is to ensure the world believes he is God, what he has always desired, (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Power Over The Enemy
Therefore, Jesus is telling us, not only can we cast out demons, but we have power over the most wicked evil spirit, Satan who had already fallen, who had already lost power.
Luke 10:19
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus brought Satan into the subject in the prior verse letting us know Satan had already fallen from the Grace of God, fallen from the power and prestige he once had, not that he fell to earth.
Christ goes on in this 19th verse to let us know we even have power over Satan, who is the serpent. So do not marvel that you cast out a few evil spirits, as Jesus has given us power over all, including Satan.
What a powerful message!
This verse should bring our minds to Revelation 9 and the 5th and 6th Trumpet. There the Locust Army is referred to as “scorpions” in verses 3, 5, and 10. In verse 19, they are referred to as having the tail of “serpents”. So you have the whole gamut here.
Jesus is telling us, we have power over all of our enemies, both flesh and spirit, (Ephesians 6). This includes Satan and his angels who help make up the Locust Army that Satan will lead during the Tribulation, though our Father still commands this army, (Joel 2:25).
Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Jesus keeps us leveled-headed by saying, do not rejoice over the fact that we have power over wicked spirits, but rejoice to know that our names are written in the Book of Life.
Remember, we cannot cast out any evil by ourselves, it is our faith in Jesus Christ that helps makes it a reality, (John 15:5).
Summary
We now know the meaning of Luke 10:18. Jesus was a spectator of Satan’s fall from his position of power. In the future, Satan will be cast from Heaven to earth, which initiates the Tribulation.