The Scriptures teach us that there are three levels of the heavens.

1. The First heaven is our atmosphere where we live and serve the Lord. It is where the Psalmist says,

“the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches” (Psa. 104:12).

2. The Second heaven is the universe of the solar system that consists of the sun, moon, stars, and planets (Gen. 1:14-18). Prior to the written revelation of God, the Lord used this realm as a teaching tool. Once again, in the words of the Psalmist,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [expanse] sheweth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge” (Psa. 19:12).

Satan currently dwells in and reigns as “the god of this world” from the second heaven, but… he will be cast out of the 2^nd heaven to the earth in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation period of judgments upon the earth (Rev. 12:7-12).

The Rapture of the members of “the body of Christ” to heaven as the true church, will occur before the seven-year Tribulation period of judgments on earth. We will then occupy this realm of the 2^nd heaven filling the various seats of rank and authority in the government of heaven (Eph. 2:6) in place of “the devil and his angels’ who are cast to the earth in Rev. 12.

3. The Third heaven is the abode of God often referred to in the Scriptures as “the heaven of heavens.”

It is also where an innumerable holy angels worship and serve the Lord. This is confirmed by Nehemiah,

“Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host [of angels], the earth, and all things that are therein” (Neh. 9:6).

Paul reveals that he was caught up to the “third heaven” where he received a further revelation from the Lord regarding what he calls “the Mystery” (2 Cor. 12:1-4; Eph. 3:23), as seen in his thirteen epistles. The ‘Mystery [Greek, musterion, meaning ‘a secret’] consist of God’s eternally established secret plan that was formerly ‘hid for ages and generation until it was revealed to Paul for us Gentiles. The Apostle Paul also called this realm of the third heaven “Paradise.”

Obviously, since there is a “Third heaven,” there must also be the First heaven and Second heavens. The idea that more than one type of “heaven” exists is confirmed in Hebrews 7:26, which says that Jesus, our High Priest, is “exalted above the heavens.” In other words, Jesus is in a heaven that is beyond the other heavens.

“For such an high priest became us [Jesus became a man], who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the [lower] heavens;” (Hebrews 7:26 (KJV)

We as grace believers have a ‘heavenly’ hope. According to Col. 1:5, when we come face to face with death, we can look forward with great expectation to be ultimately absent from our present corruptible body (cf. 1Cor 15:51-55) “and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-9) who dwells in “the heaven of heavens” (Deut. 10:14).

How could Satan access heaven in the books of Job and the Revelation? Some Bible commentators have professed great difficulty in understanding and explaining how Satan could have access to heaven in Job 1 and 2, and in Revelation 12. After all, doesn’t Scripture say in Luke 10:18 that Satan was cast out of heaven long ago? Yes, it does. Then, how is he cast out of heaven in Rev. 12 also?

So, how could it be said in Job 1:6-7 that Satan could still go into heaven? Wasn’t Satan thrown out of heaven, or is he still awaiting that eviction? Today, as seen in Job, Lucifer still has access to God.

Job 1:6-7: “there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. ⁷And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro IN THE EARTH, and from walking up and down in it.”

Then consider these Scriptures, taking a closer look at these ‘seemingly’ contradictory verses:

Luke 10:18: “And he [the Lord Jesus] said unto them, I beheld [past tense] Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”

Revelation 12:7-9,12: [to occur Mid-Tribulation] “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, [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…. [12] Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

The 2 accounts above seem contradictory because they are not contradictory – they are different falls.

• Job 1 and 2, as part of the Bible’s oldest Book, say that Satan at one time had access to the heaven of heavens and God’s throne room as one of the highest Cherubim [Angels].
• Luke 10:18, spoken during Jesus’ earthly ministry, centuries after Job, says the Lord Himself personally saw Satan fall from heaven – from the highest heaven, from God’s throne room to the lower 2^nd heaven and to rule as “the god of this world.”
• Then as seen in The Book of the Revelation, the Apostle John writes about a yet future day when Satan will be cast from… the 2^nd heaven to earth itself.

We can certainly understand why somebody would get confused here when reading these Bible verses. It’s easy to see why people have trouble reconciling these verses. Let me assure you, there is nothing wrong with the Bible. All of these verses are correct. We just have to be sure we look at the Bible as a whole, in the context of the verses, and not just in snippets. The Bible should be understood as a timeline with verses arranged neatly. Scripture is not a group of jumbled verses all applicable at the same time.

The Bible speaks of “the third heaven” in 2 Cor. 12:2. Therefore, we know that three heavens exist:

• The First heaven is what we would call Earth’s atmosphere—where birds and manmade aircraft fly.

Genesis 1:20 “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

• The Second heaven is above it—the location of the sun, moon, planets, stars, et cetera. We know this region of creation as “outer space.”

Genesis 1:14-17 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: [15] And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. [16] And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. [17] And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth….”

• The Third heaven, where God’s throne is located, is situated above outer space, outside of our universe. As noted earlier, we find this “third heaven” referenced in 2 Corinthians 12:2:

“I [Paul] knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD heaven.”

SATAN’S PROGRESSIVE FALLING, IS FROM THE “TOP” TO THE “BOTTOM”

When the Bible says that Satan fell from heaven in Luke 10:18, that refers to Lucifer’s original fall as seen in Isaiah 14:12-14 (KJV) and Ezekiel 28:11-19 (KJV).

(NOTE: Most of the corrupt so-called modern Bibles (NIV, NASB, ESV, RSV, etc.) have removed the Name of ‘Lucifer.’ You should refer to the King James Version of the Bible for all verses, words and names as seen in the ‘Received Greek text,’ which is complete)

The Isa. 14 is an account of Lucifer’s eviction from the Third heaven, the throne-room of God because of his pride and his failed attempt to usurp God’s authority (1 Timothy 3:6). Satan could never renter the third heaven. He now reigns over the earth from the Second heaven until the Rev. 12 prophecy is fulfilled.

When Scripture says that Satan stood before God in Job chapters 1 and 2, this is not the Third heaven as commonly assumed. In fact, it is not the Throne-room of God as often taught. This would be in the Second heaven of outer space in a place “on the sides of the north.” Isaiah 14:13 talks about this “mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” This is a reference to the fact that the city is located in the north of our universe. From “the sides of the north” God has a beautiful overview of the entire universe and of the whole earth. Those ‘congregating’ in this meeting of angels with God are angelic beings, and, according to the Book of Job, they assembled there periodically. It is somewhere in the northern part of the universe, perhaps on some planet or other faraway celestial body. There the angels give an account to and/or report to God concerning their activities. God met there with these angelic spirit-beings. This evidently is where Satan answers to God regarding his mischief on Earth.

Now, when the Bible speaks in Revelation 12 about Michael and his angels fighting against the Devil and his angels, and the Devil and his angels being cast out of heaven, that would be from the second heaven (in outer space) onto the earth. You will recall that this was where Satan was when he appeared in Job 1 and 2. By the time of the Revelation—technically, halfway through the seven-year Tribulation—Satan is then cast to Earth. This fall of Satan, from outer space to Earth, is yet future.

Then, in Revelation 20:10, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, Satan is tossed into Gehenna’s “Lake of Fire,” which is at the bottom of the universe, the farthest point from God’s throne in the third heaven (the third heaven being Satan’s original abode after he was created, as per Luke 18:10).

Conclusion: Rather than making all of these verses depict only one fall from one heaven or two falls from one heaven, we need to see that two heavens are involved and two falls are involved. It really is ridiculously simple, provided we ignore man’s theological speculations!

• When the perfect cherub (High angelic being), Lucifer, became ‘prideful. He, now called Satan, was cast out of the third heaven, God’s throne-room (Luke 18:10) to the lower 2^nd heaven.
• Satan currently operates from ‘the second heaven,’ giving explanation to the reality of there being “spiritual wickedness in high [heavenly] places” (Ephesians 6:12).
• One day, according to Revelation 12:7-12, Satan and his fallen angelic cohorts will be evicted from outer space (the second heaven) and confined to the Earth to wreak havoc during the final half of the seven-year Tribulation (1,260 days, (42) 30-day months on the Jewish calendar).

We, as the members of “the Church,” that is called the “Body of Christ” will then have assumed those positions of ‘rank and authority’ to co-reign with Christ in God’s heavenly government over the universe for God’s glory (Eph. 1:3, 9-10, 2:6-7; Col. 1:16-20; 2 Tim. 4:18, 2 Tim. 2:12)! Thus. Paul wrote;

“For our conversation [Gk. politeuma, citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:20-2)

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6-7)

“If we suffer [learn to endure], we shall also Reign With Him: if we deny him, he also will deny us [from reigning]:” (2 Timothy 2:12)

So, Lucifer’s fall is progressive from … his original created state to his eternal punishment in “the lake of fire.” The falls span many thousands of years.

So, it’s clear that God did not immediately take Lucifer once he fell from heaven to cast him into “the Lake of Fire.” In fact, the Devil will not wind up in “the Lake of Fire” until Revelation 20, which is still future even from today, at the end of the Millennial (1,000-yr.) reign of Christ.

“Then shall he [Jesus] say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41)

Thus, looking at the Bible’s timeline — Satan falls progressively;

• From the Third heaven (God’s throne-room) … to the second heaven of outer space,
• from the Second heaven of outer space… to the Earth,
• and ultimately, from Earth to be bound 1,000 years in his Millennial “pit,” and
• then be cast into “the Lake of Fire” for eternity.

The issue of Satan falling from heaven can be understood only from the proper dispensational perspective as the ages unfold. If you attempt to make all these verses we’ve seen as accounts of the same event, covering the same timeframe, you will reach an impasse that you will ever be able to escape. However, if you see how that they are different progressive falls, distinct falls, thousands of years apart, involving two different heavens, the Bible will become clear concerning this topic!

- Portions of this paper were Adapted from Shawn Brasseaux - https://forwhatsaiththescriptures.org/