Austin Bible Church
Ephesians 6:12 indicates the Angelic Conflict is not against people, but against Satan and his fallen angels.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB)
Every time a member of the human race (created a little lower than the angels) chooses for Jesus Christ as their Savior, the character of God is vindicated and Satan loses. This resolves the Angelic Conflict. Thus, because of God’s great plan, the Church, the Body of Christ of all Church Age believers is forming to resolve the Angelic Conflict. Eph. 3:8-10.
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:8-10, NASB)
Through the fall of man, Satan gained control of the earth, but not necessarily control of redeemed man on earth. Man’s volition as an unbeliever can act positively towards the Gospel and be saved completely independently of Satan in the devil’s world.
Man’s non-meritorious faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross resolves the Angelic Conflict. The angels see why they are condemned by observing mankind trusting in Jesus Christ and that the free will of man does not necessarily choose against God as Satan and the fallen angels did.
This is the answer to “Why man?” to resolve the Angelic Conflict. Jesus Christ is already the victor once He was seated at the right hand of God the Father. He will remain in session in the third heaven until the Rapture of the Church. The Church Age believers will come back with Christ at the Second Advent. In the Millennium, Jesus Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. In the Millennium, there will be believers in resurrection bodies as well as believers in human bodies.
After His ascension and His acceptability in session at the right hand of God the Father, His humanity became higher than angels. Heb. 1:13; 1 Peter 3:22. No angel has ever been offered that position and never will. But we have that same position in Christ. The Body of Christ is being formed in the Church Age one believer at a time. There is a specific time when it will be completed.
“But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”?” (Hebrews 1:13, NASB)
"who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him." (1 Peter 3:22, NASB)
The length of His session will be until the Rapture of the Church when He will return to accept all Church Age believers in the air at the Rapture of the Church. He physically returns to earth at His Second Advent to destroy His enemies and establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth. All of His enemies will be made His footstool at the end of the Millennium. A footstool is an idiom in the ancient languages representing the fact that your enemies are conquered. Heb. 10:13.
"waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET." (Hebrews 10:13, NASB)
Believers in the Church Age are in Christ and are, therefore, positionally higher than angels, because when we are saved, we are placed into union with Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit (Baptism of the Spirit and Positional Truth). Regenerate man will be physically superior to angels in eternity with a resurrection body that is exactly like our Lord’s resurrection body. This position in Christ positions us far above angels, whether fallen or elect. Heb. 1:14.
"For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14, NASB)
At the Rapture of the Church, Jesus Christ will leave heaven to get His Church. He will no longer be seated. At the Rapture, the Body of Christ will be complete. 1 Thess. 4:16.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NASB)
The Rapture of the Church will start the Tribulation on earth that will last for seven years. While the Tribulation is unfolding on earth, Church Age believers will be evaluated by Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This will be a preparation time for the Body of Christ to become the Bride of Christ.
God promised Israel seven more years to complete the Age of Israel. There are the 70 weeks of Daniel which means 70 “weeks” made up of seven years each. These are the years of the Tribulation, which is the completion of the Jewish Age or Age of Israel. These have to be completed before the Millennium can be ushered in.
The demons are operational during these seven years. They will not be removed from the earth until just prior to the beginning of the Millennium when Satan will be imprisoned and all demons removed to make way for the perfect environment of the Millennium. Rev. 20:2.
"And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;" (Revelation 20:2, NASB)
At the Second Advent, believers will actually be higher than angels, in their resurrection body, minus the old sin nature and minus human good. The Body of Christ (Church age believers) is being completed on earth by the conversion of individuals and when completed, the Rapture will occur. 1 Thess. 4:16-17.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NASB)
Satan and fallen angels are enemies of Christ. Colossians 2:14-15 shows that Jesus Christ triumphed over them in principle at the Cross. Christ will conquer them in reality at the Second Advent. Col. 2:10; Zech. 13:2.
"having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Colossians 2:14-15, NASB)
"and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;" (Colossians 2:10, NASB)
""It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land." (Zechariah 13:2, NASB)
Satan and his fallen angels have already been judged. Satan will be bound in the Abyss and all demons will be sent to Tartarus for the 1,000 years of the Millennium. The result will be perfect environment on earth for the Millennium.
At the end of 1,000 years of perfect justice and perfect environment, millions of unbelievers will reject the Gospel and Bible doctrine. At the beginning of human history, Adam and Eve rejected God and His perfect environment and sinned. At the end of human history, man will reject God and His perfect environment and join Satan's revolution against Jesus Christ.
At the end of the Millennium, only Satan will be released from the Abyss for a short time and he will persuade most of the unbelievers of the Millennium to revolt against God and the rule of Jesus Christ on the earth. This is called the Gog and Magog Revolution. Rev. 20:8.
"and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore." (Revelation 20:8, NASB)
The Gog and Magog Revolution will be ended abruptly by Jesus Christ. Rev. 20:9.
"And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them." (Revelation 20:9, NASB)
God’s sentence will then be carried out with Satan and all fallen angels being cast into the Lake of Fire forever. 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." (Revelation 20:10, NASB)
The next chronological event will be the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment will be for unbelievers. All human unbelievers will be resurrected and brought before Jesus Christ, the perfect judge. They will be judged only on the basis of their good works because Jesus Christ already paid for their sins on the Cross (Unlimited Atonement). Their good works will be found unacceptable to God's perfect righteousness. Isaiah 64:6.
"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isaiah 64:6, NASB)
Based on their lack of perfect righteousness through acceptance of the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever. Rev. 20:11-15.
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15, NASB)
God will then destroy the entire universe by fire and create the new heavens, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem for all elect angels and regenerate mankind, as part of the eternal state.