Patrick Heron is a favorite of mine - a critical thinker and prophecy writer. This article below was written by him. Check out his website HERE.
I presume many readers will be a little startled at such a title for. However, over the 35 years since becoming a believer, I have learned that many topics I have been taught as truth have turned out to be quite opposite to what the Word of God states.
Here is another truth I have noticed lately; "You cannot put new wine into old wine skins." Please bear this in mind as we tackle this delicate subject. For I was taught that Satan along with his one-third rebel band, were ousted from Heaven millenia ago when their attempt to usurp the Throne of the Most High God failed, and they were thrust down to earth. Not so.
Now the Word of God cannot contradict itself. And we must remember the lesson of Peter when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you think I am?" Peter answered correctly when he stated, "You are the son of the Most High God". For this Jesus commended him and told him that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him, but revelation from on high had given him the answer.
Then Jesus proceeded to inform his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and then die. At this Peter got all hot and bothered and more or less said, "No way will this happen as long as I am around". But Jesus looked Peter right in the eye and said, "Get thee behind me Satan...you regard the things of man rather than the things of God".
The lesson here is, the truth is a very narrow path. Jesus was the Word made flesh. He spoke the Word of truth because he is truth. When Peter veered off the truth, he was in deep doo-doo. So we must align our thoughts and beliefs with what the Word says, irrespective of what we were taught years ago. Otherwise 'get thee behind me Satan' might be applicable to us. With this in mind, we jump to Revelation 12:7-9,12
"And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not. Neither was their place found anymore in Heaven.
And the great Dragon was cast out; that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the world and his angels were cast out with him.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, for he knows that he has but a short time."
Now most folks believe that this happened thousands of years ago. But verse 10 suggests this event is yet future:
"And I heard a loud voice in Heaven saying, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of our Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
That's the KJV. The NIV renders the last phrase thus:
"For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."
The 'brethren' or 'brothers' here are believers. That is, they are born again Christians of the ecclesia, the 'called out' or Church of God and Body of Christ. And Satan, who is the accuser, appears before the Throne of God day and night, rehearsing our sins and throwing them in the face of God and of Jesus.
So Satan has access to heaven and to Mount Zion, the City of God. In fact, I propose that he and his entourage reside in Heaven. How can you say that, I hear you say? Let us go to the letter which is the pinnacle of the epistles specifically addressed to the to the Church of God; Ephesians.
"Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." Eph 1:20
Now the word 'places' is in italics. This tells us that this word was added and is not in the original text. The Greek for 'heavenly' is epouranios which appears five times in this epistle. So, we know that Jesus ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. This is where the Father's House with the many mansions are plus the 24 elders and an innumerable amount of angels. In Heaven.
Now look at Ephesians 3:10 which is speaking of the Devil and his angelic forces.
"To the intent that now, to the principalities and powers in heavenlyplaces (epouranios) might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."
We can drop 'places' for it is in italics. So this verse is saying that the Devil and his princes are residing in Heaven. Still not convinced? Here is a verse we all know which will establish this truth. Ephesians 6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (epouranios: heaven).
There you have it. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead and set him at His own right hand in Heaven, so too the Devil and the rest of the fallen angels, who are the rulers of the darkness of this world, are also in Heaven. And this is why he is able to appear before the Throne of God day and night, accusing the brethren.
Perhaps Heaven is a big place, like earth. It may be that the City of God is in one location and the Devil and his angels reside at some remove. Just as I write this in Ireland and many of you reading it are in the USA.
I know that the Devil is the god of this world and that he goes up and down in the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But he is a spiritual being. So he and his comrades can flit between Heaven and earth in a flash. However, it is plain and obvious that from the above quotes, and from Revelation 12, that they still reside in this parallel dimension known as 'Heaven'.
Thus when we read in Revelation 6:13, "The stars of Heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs..." we know this is speaking of a future event and the 'stars' here is a metaphor for the fallen angels who are to be ejected from Heaven after the war between Michael and his angels and the Devil and his host.
Consequently, the utterance by Jesus in Luke 10; "I beheld Satan as lightening fall from Heaven", is a prophetic statement yet to be fulfilled.
I cover this topic in detail in my book, Return of the Antichrist and the New World Order. see www.neph.ie
Now the Word of God cannot contradict itself. And we must remember the lesson of Peter when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you think I am?" Peter answered correctly when he stated, "You are the son of the Most High God". For this Jesus commended him and told him that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him, but revelation from on high had given him the answer.
Then Jesus proceeded to inform his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and then die. At this Peter got all hot and bothered and more or less said, "No way will this happen as long as I am around". But Jesus looked Peter right in the eye and said, "Get thee behind me Satan...you regard the things of man rather than the things of God".
The lesson here is, the truth is a very narrow path. Jesus was the Word made flesh. He spoke the Word of truth because he is truth. When Peter veered off the truth, he was in deep doo-doo. So we must align our thoughts and beliefs with what the Word says, irrespective of what we were taught years ago. Otherwise 'get thee behind me Satan' might be applicable to us. With this in mind, we jump to Revelation 12:7-9,12
"And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon fought and his angels. And prevailed not. Neither was their place found anymore in Heaven.
And the great Dragon was cast out; that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the world and his angels were cast out with him.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, for he knows that he has but a short time."
Now most folks believe that this happened thousands of years ago. But verse 10 suggests this event is yet future:
"And I heard a loud voice in Heaven saying, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of our Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
That's the KJV. The NIV renders the last phrase thus:
"For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."
The 'brethren' or 'brothers' here are believers. That is, they are born again Christians of the ecclesia, the 'called out' or Church of God and Body of Christ. And Satan, who is the accuser, appears before the Throne of God day and night, rehearsing our sins and throwing them in the face of God and of Jesus.
So Satan has access to heaven and to Mount Zion, the City of God. In fact, I propose that he and his entourage reside in Heaven. How can you say that, I hear you say? Let us go to the letter which is the pinnacle of the epistles specifically addressed to the to the Church of God; Ephesians.
"Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." Eph 1:20
Now the word 'places' is in italics. This tells us that this word was added and is not in the original text. The Greek for 'heavenly' is epouranios which appears five times in this epistle. So, we know that Jesus ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. This is where the Father's House with the many mansions are plus the 24 elders and an innumerable amount of angels. In Heaven.
Now look at Ephesians 3:10 which is speaking of the Devil and his angelic forces.
"To the intent that now, to the principalities and powers in heavenlyplaces (epouranios) might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."
We can drop 'places' for it is in italics. So this verse is saying that the Devil and his princes are residing in Heaven. Still not convinced? Here is a verse we all know which will establish this truth. Ephesians 6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (epouranios: heaven).
There you have it. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead and set him at His own right hand in Heaven, so too the Devil and the rest of the fallen angels, who are the rulers of the darkness of this world, are also in Heaven. And this is why he is able to appear before the Throne of God day and night, accusing the brethren.
Perhaps Heaven is a big place, like earth. It may be that the City of God is in one location and the Devil and his angels reside at some remove. Just as I write this in Ireland and many of you reading it are in the USA.
I know that the Devil is the god of this world and that he goes up and down in the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But he is a spiritual being. So he and his comrades can flit between Heaven and earth in a flash. However, it is plain and obvious that from the above quotes, and from Revelation 12, that they still reside in this parallel dimension known as 'Heaven'.
Thus when we read in Revelation 6:13, "The stars of Heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs..." we know this is speaking of a future event and the 'stars' here is a metaphor for the fallen angels who are to be ejected from Heaven after the war between Michael and his angels and the Devil and his host.
Consequently, the utterance by Jesus in Luke 10; "I beheld Satan as lightening fall from Heaven", is a prophetic statement yet to be fulfilled.
I cover this topic in detail in my book, Return of the Antichrist and the New World Order. see www.neph.ie
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