CHAPTER 13

THE LAKE OF FIRE JUDGEMENT – PART 2

GOD’S FINAL JUDGEMENT OF ALL FALLEN ANGELS

Angels play a very important role in God’s Plan of Universal Reconciliation. Before we discuss the main theme of this chapter, ‘God’s final judgement of all fallen angels’, we need to first have a clear grasp of the basic information about angels as given in the Bible.

The Bible mentions ‘angels’ approximately 300 times. The Hebrew word for angel is mal’ak and the Greek word is aggelos, both of which mean ‘messenger’. Angels are ‘ministering spirits’ whom God created as immortal beings in very large numbers, perhaps totalling many billions. Angels, besides other names, are also referred to as ‘sons of God’ in the Bible.

God created angels before He created the universe. God created the universe with the earth instantaneously in the beginning, which marked the beginning of time and the beginning of the ages. God created the earth in such a beautiful perfect condition as a garden, teeming with plant and animal life, that the angels responded with singing and shouts of joy. God put angels in charge of His beautifully created earth with Lucifer as the leading angel. This was in the Pre-Adamic Age before God created man.

At some point in the Pre-Adamic Age, Lucifer, who became Satan, convinced a third of the angels to join him in a rebellion against God to usurp the throne of God in heaven. These rebellious angels were severely punished by God for their sins and He violently cast them back down to earth. The judgement of God against the sinful fallen angels resulted in a total global cataclysmic destruction of the earth’s surface and sudden extinction of all Pre-Adamic plant and animal life. The earth became totally ruined, dark, flooded and frozen. (Genesis 1:2) God chained Satan and his fallen angels (demons) in spiritual darkness and confined them to earth, and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere). Full details of the Pre-Adamic Age and the consequences of the sins of angels are given in Chapter 25, The Pre-Adamic Age - The Age of Angels.

When God renewed the earth with its atmosphere approximately six thousand years ago and created man, Satan and his fallen angels were already present, and it was on this renewed earth with its renewed atmosphere that Satan deceived Eve.

After approximately 1700 years into the Adamic Age, God destroyed the world of Noah because the wickedness of man was great in the earth. God especially hated the sins of ‘the sons of God’ who saw that the daughters of men were attractive and took them as their wives. These ‘sons of God’ were in fact a group of fallen angels who had abnormal sexual relationships with some women, which resulted in abnormal offspring of a giant race called Nephilim.

When God destroyed Noah’s world through flooding, God imprisoned this group of fallen angels, who had illicit sexual relationships with the daughters of men. This was obviously to prevent them from engaging in any further sexual sin with the daughters of men. Jesus Christ went to preach to this group of demonic spirits in prison following His resurrection, as given in 1 Peter 3:19-20. What was Jesus’ purpose and why did He go to preach to these imprisoned spirits? We shall comment on the significance of this and answer these questions later in this chapter. 

Satan and all of his fallen angels (demons) remain in spiritual darkness and they are confined to earth awaiting their final judgement as confirmed in 2 Peter 2:4, Revelation 12:7 and Jude 1:6. Satan and his fallen angels are not allowed to ascend above this earth’s atmosphere as they did when they tried to usurp the throne of God in heaven during the Pre-Adamic Age. When the Bible says in Job 1:6, ‘Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them’, this does not mean that Satan left earth to rise up and access heaven, the dwelling place of God. God’s presence is everywhere in the universe, and it was here on earth that Satan presented himself before the Lord.

The whole purpose of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is for God to reconcile without exception, all things in heaven and all things on earth to Himself. God’s Plan of Universal Reconciliation is clearly, wonderfully and powerfully given in Colossians 1:15-20. This scripture definitely and unambiguously includes the reconciliation of all fallen angels through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities (arche) or powers (exousia). All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

This is the key scripture of God's Plan for All. It is essential to repeat our comments on it as given in Chapter 4, 'Universal Reconciliation Scriptures – The Riches of Christ', as this scripture confirms that all fallen angels are included in God’s Plan of Universal Reconciliation.

The verses above are constructed in such a way that they leave absolutely no room for any doubt whatsoever that the word all can only mean all without any exception. The Holy Spirit, who inspired Apostle Paul to write these verses, repeats the word all seven times before coming to the key verse, verse 20, where it says that God will reconcile all things to Himself through Jesus Christ. If you believe verse 16 that Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and on earth, all things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, then you have no option but to also believe verse 20, which says that Jesus Christ will reconcile the same all things that He created.

‘Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’ as given in verse 16, definitely include Satan and his fallen angels. The truth that God will even reconcile all fallen angels exalts God’s power, wisdom, love, mercy, forgiveness and His justice to the full. God tells us to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21), and God will ultimately overcome all evil with good, so that the purpose of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the universal reconciliation of all things is absolutely and completely achieved.

Let us see clearly from the Bible that the expression ‘thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’ as given in verse 16 above include Satan and his fallen angels. God through Jesus Christ created angels before He created the universe with the earth. A third of these angels rebelled against God under the leadership of Lucifer who became Satan. These fallen angels are referred to in the Bible as principalities and powers. A Christian fights spiritual battles against principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this age.

Ephesians 6:11-12

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities (arche), against powers (exousia), against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The Greek words arche and exousia used for principalities and powers in Ephesians 6:12 above are the same Greek words used in Colossians 1:16. All things that Jesus Christ created, visible and invisible, principalities and powers, most definitely include all fallen angels. Let us believe the Bible that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is all powerful and all sufficient to reconcile to God, not only all fallen men but also all fallen angels. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world, which includes the sins of fallen angels. (1 John 2:2)

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God punishes an unbeliever or a fallen angel forever. Chapters 15-19 of this book give complete and comprehensive answers to why, when and how the doctrine of hell crept into Christianity. There are four so-called 'proof texts' normally used by those who believe that Satan and his fallen angels will not be reconciled. These are Hebrews 2:14-18, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6 and Revelation 20:10. Let us now examine each of these texts in detail.

Hebrews 2:14-18

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus Christ, through His work on the cross, destroyed Satan, who is the devil, who had the power of death. Not only did Jesus destroy Satan by His work on the cross, but He also destroyed death itself, which is called the last enemy. (1 Corinthians 15:25-26)

From God’s perspective, both Satan and death no longer exist because it is only a matter of time, at the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth, that the work of the cross will be fully realised. This is when everything on earth and in heaven will be reconciled to God Himself because of the finished work of the cross.

When death, which is the last enemy, is destroyed, the only thing that can burst forth is life. Similarly, when Satan is ‘destroyed’, then he will be changed back to his original created state as a holy ministering angel. It is God’s nature to overcome evil with good, and ultimately God will overcome all evil with good. (Romans 12:21) The false doctrine of hell teaches that God overcomes evil with even more evil, which is completely against the nature of God.

In this present age, it is not God’s purpose to deal with Satan and his fallen angels, and God is not ‘giving aid to’ or trying to reconcile them now. Since the time of Adam and Eve up until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, God is only calling and choosing His Elect Bride, and preparing her for a special salvation. (1 Timothy 4:10)  God has allowed Satan and his fallen angels as well as the vast majority of human beings to remain in spiritual darkness until the Lake of Fire Judgement Age.

2 Peter 2:4

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartaroo) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

In this verse, the Greek word tartaroo is mistranslated as hell. Tartaroo is used only once in the Bible and the context, in which it appears, reveals the meaning of the word as a prison of spiritual darkness.

Satan and his fallen angels were cast back down to earth when they first sinned during the Pre-Adamic Age, which we explain in Chapter 25. They remain confined to this earth and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) in spiritual darkness, reserved for their final judgement in the Lake of Fire. The Bible says that true believers, God's Elect who are the Bride of Christ, will rule and reign with Jesus Christ and they will have the privilege of judging angels.

1 Corinthians 6:3

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

Satan and all his fallen angels are awaiting their final judgement, which will be in the Lake of Fire. This will happen after all unbelievers have first been judged in the same Lake of Fire and reconciled to God.

Jude 1:6 (RSV)

And the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal (aidios) chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day.

Please note that the ‘eternal (aidios) chains’ of the fallen angels will only last until the judgement of the great day. The Greek word aidios which is translated ‘eternal’ does not literally mean eternal as God alone is Eternal. We comment on the translation of aidios in detail in Chapter 17.

The truth of the Bible is that Satan and his fallen angels, who are presently confined to earth in spiritual darkness, are awaiting their final judgement in the age-lasting Lake of Fire, as are all people who die as unbelievers. 

Revelation 20:10

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (theion) where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented (basanizo) day and night forever (aion) and ever (aion).

Please refer to the last chapter, Chapter 12, where we have given detailed comments on this scripture. The meanings of the Greek words theion, basanizo and aion actually prove that the purpose of the Lake of Fire is to refine Satan and all of his fallen angels to prepare them for reconciliation to God through the work of the cross, rather than to endlessly torture them.

Why did Jesus go to preach to the spirits in prison?

As previously commented, Jesus went to preach to the spirits in prison following His resurrection. God imprisoned these spirits, a group of  fallen angels, to stop them from committing any further abominable and abnormal sexual sin with the ‘daughters of men’, as they did during the time of Noah.  

1 Peter 3:18-20

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while [the] ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

Note, verse 18 above says that Jesus suffered for sins, the just for the unjust. All fallen angels and all fallen men are the unjust for whom Jesus Christ suffered on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, all fallen angels witnessed the death of Jesus Christ except the imprisoned fallen angels who were no longer free to roam the earth, as spirits of the air, like Satan and the other fallen angels. It was important for Jesus to preach the work of the cross, as a witness, to these imprisoned fallen angels, because Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, which includes the abominable sexual sins of the imprisoned fallen angels. Please note that the purpose of Jesus Christ was only to witness to these imprisoned spirits, and not to convert them at that time.

When Jesus Christ returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom, we know that Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit. We believe that all of the rest of the fallen angels will either be imprisoned with Satan in the bottomless pit, or cast into the lake of fire of molten lava below the earth’s crust, along with the beast and the false prophet. Satan and all of his fallen angels will be released from their prisons at the end of the Millennial Age, and they will once again rebel against Jesus and the Saints before their final judgement in the Lake of Fire. This is when all fallen angels will be judged, repent and be reconciled to God through the work of the cross.   

Angels were created to be ministering spirits to God and men, and not to be kept in a prison of spiritual darkness forever. God’s power, His love and His justice will ensure that Satan and his fallen angels will repent and be transformed back to their original holy state, which they enjoyed when they were first created. They will willingly, humbly, joyfully and thankfully minister forever like the other two-thirds of the holy angels in God’s Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

The Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth, where there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain and no more curse, will not be established on this earth until God has first cleansed and renewed the earth and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) by fire, and reconciled all things in heaven and all things on earth through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. This reconciliation of all things, most definitely includes the reconciliation of Satan and his fallen angels, as Colossians 1:15-20 clearly and powerfully confirms.

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