Since angels are still free moral agents, even though created and composed of spirit, could they still sin and rebel against God? Or, could some demons still repent and become righteous? And what will happen to Satan and those demons who will not and therefore cannot repent and change?
These are interesting questions, and even though the Bible may not give us total and complete answers in each case, there are in fact several references and hints in Scripture which might allow us to reach certain conclusions.
In our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” we are addressing the possibility that some very few angels could still “fall” and become demons. One such Scripture can be found in 1 Kings 22, which reads:
“Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, ‘Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?’ And he answered him, ‘Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!’ So the king said to him, ‘How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?’ Then he said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, “These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.”’ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?’
“Then Micaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, “Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?” So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, “I will persuade him.” The LORD said to him, “In what way?” So he said, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the LORD said, “You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.”’” (1 Kings 22:15-22).
In our before-mentioned booklet, we state the following:
“In reference to the spirit being in 1 Kings 22 who wanted to become a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets so that king Ahab would fall in battle, was this spirit being a demon? It is very possible. We know that Satan has been appearing before God to accuse God’s people day and night (Revelation 12:10). Satan appeared before God twice to accuse Job, as recorded in the book of Job (see Job, chapter 1 and 2). Also, it appears from Zechariah 3:1–2 that Satan stood before God to accuse the high priest, Joshua.
“On the other hand, the spirit being in 1 Kings 22 who is not described as an evil spirit or a demon, could very well have been an angel of God—part of the hosts of heaven—who decided at that moment to become a lying spirit. This would be an example of an angel who had not sinned before, but who decided at that time to sin because of pride about his own intelligence, as no one else came up with a solution as to how to defeat Ahab.
“God might have conducted His council with His angels for the very reason to see what the angels would suggest to do in that particular situation—would they stay loyal to God’s Way of Life, even in times of difficulties, or would they be willing to deviate from it for the sake of ‘easy’ solutions?”
Of course, none of this means that God approves of lying, since lying is a sin. But God does test us, and He tests the “spirits.” In our booklet, we also explain WHY God might allow all of this to happen. We also state this:
“Paul makes this alarming comment in Galatians 1:8: ‘But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.’ Apparently, Paul felt it might be possible that an ‘angel from heaven’ could sin, by preaching a wrong gospel message. We also read that ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know’ (Genesis 18:20–21). It appears that God was told by some of His angels how sinful the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were, and that God wanted to see for Himself whether these reports were totally accurate. This would be one way God tests the spirits—to check out the accuracy of their reports.”
It appears that we will have a say, as it were, in the final disposition of demons and angels.
I Corinthians 6:3 tells us: “Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”
Why would God have us judge angels, under God the Father and Jesus Christ? Does this passage imply that some fallen angels might still repent?
Again, quoting from our free booklet:
“We are told in 1 Peter 3:19–20: ‘… by which [the Spirit] also he [Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water’ (Authorized Version). The correct understanding of this passage is that Jesus Christ preached to the spirits in prison—the demons—at the time of Noah, when God was about to protect Noah from destruction. Christ used this example to show that the demons who had sinned “sometime”—before the creation of man—were still awaiting their judgment.
“Why did Christ preach to the demons? Was the only purpose to announce to them what they already knew, that they would be punished in the future? Or, was it done in order to bring some of them to repentance so that they could be spared from punishment? Proverbs 16:2 tells us that ‘the LORD weighs the spirits.’ If the fate of all spirit beings—good and bad—is sealed, why would God still weigh the spirits?
“We are also told, in 1 Corinthians 6:3, that we will judge angels. This judgment might include demons who are called ‘angels’ in Revelation 12:7. ‘Judgment’ can mean ‘condemnation.’ “’Judgment’ can also refer to a process of judging, leading, guiding and directing, which requires time, until at the end of the process, the verdict is pronounced. Is the Bible telling us that we are to judge demons, not only in the sense of condemning them for what they did, but also for the purpose of trying to lead some of them to repentance?”
Look what Christ said about Jezebel in Revelation 2:20-22:
“Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.”
Notice, God gave her time to repent; then the time was up. The same applies to us today. Does it also apply to demons? Is God granting time to those demons to repent who have not committed the unpardonable sin?
On the other hand, we know from Scripture that the fate of Satan and most of his demons is sealed. What is that fate?
Jude 1:6 says: “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
As for Satan, the leader of the fallen angels, his fate is already determined, since his mind is so corrupted that he will not repent.
Notice Revelation 20:10: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet [had been cast]. And they [Satan and his demons] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (For a correct and full explanation of this Scripture, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”)
There is no talk of having to judge Satan’s and his demons’ outcome here, since by their actions and refusal to repent it is predetermined. We are just dealing here with the execution of the final judgment.
Regarding the ultimate fate of Satan and his demons, let us quote again from our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”:
“We have already discussed the fact that a full one-third of God’s angels sinned in times past, thus becoming demons. God did not prevent them from sinning. He created them as free moral agents and He knew that they could sin. The angels who sinned are presently in chains of darkness, to be reserved for future judgment (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). They are living today in a state of darkness. They are spiritually imprisoned by their own perversions. Sin has enslaved them… They are not literally imprisoned and jailed at a certain place. Rather, they are roaming to and fro on this earth. Satan is compared to a roaring lion, walking about, to see whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8)…
“After a time period called the Great White Throne Judgment, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41). Their torment will be spiritual, as they will see all of their evil works destroyed by fire (compare 2 Peter 3:10–13), and their influence on others will be gone forever. Their final fate might be revealed in Jude 13, referring to ‘wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.’ Compare, too, 2 Peter 2:17.”
In conclusion:
It appears that some few of the fallen angels could perhaps be able to repent and turn to God while the vast majority of the other demons (since they committed the unpardonable sin) will be cast into outer darkness. Satan will also be cast into outer darkness for ever, since he will not and therefore cannot repent.
The same principle is applicable to God: He cannot sin, because He will not sin.
God is a just God, and His punishment is a just punishment because Satan and his angels allowed themselves to become corrupted by sin.
Sin carries inescapable consequences, and by rebellion and sin, Satan and his demons will pay the ultimate price for their sin: Since they are spirit beings and cannot die, they will have to experience total removal from the presence of God and His immortal servants, as well as from God’s faithful angels.
Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link
