Does the Bible speak of angels falling from heaven with Satan or Lucifer?

Answer 1

No. The Bible never mentions a fall from heaven by Lucifer. However, Isaiah chapter 14, written during the Babylonian Exile, talks of the pomp and splendour of the king of Babylon, who had ruled the nations in anger, and his fate after his overthrow by the king of Persia. He had compared himself to the morning star (Lucifer, from Latin) and had thought that he would ascend into heaven and sit among the stars, but was now himself persecuted. He has become weak and like one of us; he will go to hell. This passage was misunderstood by Christian translators, resulting in the widespread Christian view that Lucifer and Satan are one and that this describes the fall of Lucifer/Satan. The Jewish position is that Satan is the heavenly and loyal assistant of God, tasked with testing the righteousness of the faithful.

AnswerTo add to the above and to clarify matters somewhat, as the above simply points out the difference between Satan and Lucifer, it is true that Christians relate Lucifer to the devil. This is a matter of semantics though. To answer the question from the 'Satan' point of view, in the bible the fall of Satan is mentioned in Revelation Chapter 12:

7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers,

who accuses them before our God day and night,

has been hurled down.

11They overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

they did not love their lives so much

as to shrink from death.

12Therefore rejoice, you heavens

and you who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea,

because the devil has gone down to you!

He is filled with fury,

because he knows that his time is short."

Critics point out that Revelation, being written much later than the gospels, cannot be relied upon for orthodox teaching. However, the fall of Satan is also mentioned in the Gospels - the Gospel of Luke (Ch10) - written before Revelation, where it is clear that the fall of Satan was already accepted doctrine by the Jews as they understood Jesus talking about that very issue:

16"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."

18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."