Some have gotten angry with me because I argue against a pre-Adamic fall of Satan. This teaching should never have been considered dogma by anyone. Why? There is no verse that states this as a dogma.

We may have a difference of opinion on those things that are not dogma but that should never lead to separation or the sowing of discord – which God hates. It could lead to friendly consideration and discussion.

The following verses are often quoted to support a pre-Adamic fall and we will consider each of them.

Ezekiel 28:12-16 "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. "By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones."

This describes the actual King of Tyre. Many believe it also refers to Satan. If so, it describes Satan as perfect in the Garden of Eden until he sinned. One of the penalties that God gives upon Adam’s sin is the command for the serpent to be forever cast down on his belly.

This passage is followed with: "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. "You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you. You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever."' " Ezekiel 28:17-19

Much of the destruction talked about in this verse occurs to the King of Tyre-- who is no more. It also states that the people would be astonished by his falling. It would not accurately describe Satan who continues to be involved in the affairs of mankind.

Someone reading this passage wouldn’t say, "God wants me to command that others recognize that Lucifer was cast down prior to Adam."

Isaiah 14:12-15 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit."

This passage talks about Lucifer falling after weakening the nations. It also uses future tense when talking about bringing him down. A natural reading would not lead one to think that I must believe Lucifer fell in a pre-Adamic time period.

Revelation 12: 7-10 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

This verse was used in a CGI publication to support someone’s article on a pre-Adamic casting down of Satan. It was talked about completely out of context. This passage occurs immediately following the resurrection of Christ and just before he knows his time is short and he persecutes the brothers and sisters of Christ – those who hold to the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus.

In addition, this passage says he was before God accusing our brethren up until he is cast down. That verse alone would make an interpretation that it refers to a prehistoric fall of Satan purely and utterly WRONG.

No verse naturally provides a dogma of a prehistoric fall. You have to take that presupposition and read it into the verses. It is a traditional theory that some people held on to and not dogma. Not believing the theory could never be construed as heretical.

God has at various times boxed Satan in throughout the Word of God. In Job he asks God for permission to pursue Job. He describes the pit being opened in Revelation 9 and then again Satan being put in it and coming out of it in Revelation 20. The legion asked not to be put into the abyss and instead into the pigs. Satan’s home is often considered in the Bible and in tradition as in the bowels of the Earth. It just doesn’t describe man as being tormented there, only fallen angels being imprisoned there.

Can I prove Satan didn’t pre-exist and God didn’t do something before mankind? No. All I can do is state that God never said He did. Which is why you can't prove He did. You may want to prove that, because you have a set of "old earth glasses" on, that you review data with. Try to look at it with another set of glasses and consider the matter and see what you have left with as fact in the end.

Matthew 15:9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

I have often heard the verse above quoted with respect to Christmas and Sunday worship. Both practices were determined by man and not commandments from God.

In our own church background we also have many traditional doctrines that are not recognized as part of our Statement of Beliefs or Commandments of God. Many of these teachings should never be considered as the Word of God. For instance, sometimes it has been taught that Jesus was likely born at the Feast of Tabernacles. This approach uses a number of verses and a timeline is created. Others have stated it was likely in the spring. Neither teaching becomes an official dogma of the Church because they are not teachings from God but a theory put forward by man.

The commandments of God are NOT theoretical but clear. You shall keep the Sabbath Day is a clear directive for instance. What day Jesus was born on is clearly not commanded as a day of worship and has been surprisingly lost to history.

What should hold Christians together is a common belief in the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus – not our theories. What should bring about separation is the unrepentant transgression of the Word of God, not transgressing a theory of man. In order for iron to sharpen iron we must be able to challenge teachings and hold on to what is GOOD – the commandments of God, the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God. This is what the Bereans were like.

I don’t want you to believe me, believe your Bible.

We may have a difference of opinion on those things that are not dogma, but that should never lead to separation or the sowing of discord – which God hates. It could lead to thoughtful discussion and friendly disagreement at times.