The Angelic Conflict - Part 24 -
Satan probably argued, “How can a loving God put His own creatures into the lake of fire forever?”

An appeal is presumed from the lapse of time between the sentence of fallen angels (Mat 25:41) in eternity past and the execution of that sentence at the termination of human history (Rev 20:10).

MAT 25:41 Then He will also say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

REV 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

(Mat 25:41) - Human history - (Rev 20:10)

DEU 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever”

Between the passing of the sentence in eternity past and the execution of that sentence at the end of the Millennium and the Gog revolution, an appeal trial is occurring in human history.

MAR 9:23 “If You can! All things are possible to him who believes.”

MAR 11:23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be {granted} him.

Mar 11:24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.

Human history is the actual courtroom for that trial, and mankind was created to be a part of that trial.

The formal presentation of the case: the prosecution presents its case, followed by the defense presenting its case.

The rebuttal phase: the rebuttal arguments of the prosecution [God] followed by the rebuttal arguments of the defense [Satan].

The closing argument and summary: first by the prosecution [God] and then by the defense [Satan].

The trial phase begins with the fall of man in the garden and continues until the beginning of the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union.

The fall of man in the garden of Eden actually duplicates the fall of Satan in the garden of God.

God created man as a rational creature lower than angels, duplicating at a reduced scale, the conditions of the prehistoric angelic conflict.

With the fall of Adam, Satan became the ruler of planet earth, from which position Satan provides the defense in the historical appeal trial of all fallen angels, 2Co 4:4.

Eze 28 - Satan led all the angels on earth in worship toward God on planet earth.

God entered His evidence by creating man just as the angels were created: innocent with the potential to love and worship God through right decisions and to become imperfect by wrong decisions.

Adam freely and deliberately chose to follow the pattern of arrogance which characterized Satan’s original revolution, Isa 14:12-14.

The rebellion of Satan in the garden of God resulted in the fall of angelic creatures. Rev 12:4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven.

The rebellion of Adam in the garden of Eden resulted in the fall of mankind. Rom 5:12 Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

The Bible seems to reveal some sort of reconciliation for angels, Col 1:20, Phi 2:10, Heb 2:2.

In angelic history, God had provided a decision making process by which angels could express non-meritorious positive volition, so there are elect and fallen angels!

God provided salvation for all so that man can express non-meritorious positive volition through faith in Christ (Joh 3:16).

Through the exercise of their free will, angels are divided into two categories: elect and fallen angels (Rev 12:7, 1Ti 5:21, Mat 25:41, Mar 8:38).

Through the exercise of their free will mankind is divided into two categories: believers and unbelievers (Joh 3:36).

Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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Robert R. McLaughlin 2001