What is the angelic conflict doctrine, and is it biblical?

Answer

The doctrine of the angelic conflict suggests that our creation as human beings was essentially God’s response to the rebellion of Lucifer and the angels who joined him. According to this doctrine, the earth was initially intended for the angels. However, the chief angel, Satan, decided to rebel. As a result of this rebellion and God’s subsequent judgment, the earth was devastated, becoming “formless and empty” «And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. », (Genesis 1:2). This marked the onset of the “angelic conflict,” an ongoing struggle that will persist until Satan is ultimately thrown into the lake of fire «And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. », (Revelation 20:10).

According to the angelic conflict doctrine, Satan and the demons were given an opportunity to repent, but they declined. God conducted a trial in heaven, sentencing Satan to eternal damnation. However, Satan contested the verdict, claiming it was unjust. The trial is currently in the “appeal stage,” allowing Satan to freely move about the earth.

In order to refute Satan’s accusation of unfairness, God demonstrated His unwavering justice. He restored the earth and fashioned a new, lesser race of beings (humans) with free will akin to the angels. Like the angels, mankind had the choice to obey God or rebel, and like a third of the angels, they rebelled. Nevertheless, when presented with a subsequent opportunity to repent and be saved, Adam and Eve chose to do so. Every individual throughout history who embraces God as their Savior

It is further evidence that Satan has no excuse for his rebellion. Every believer in Christ serves as a testimony to the kindness of God and the extreme wickedness of Satan.

The doctrine of the angelic conflict is linked to the gap theory (or old-earth creationism). We do not affirm the accuracy of the angelic conflict doctrine. While it may not directly contradict orthodox Christian beliefs, it does have some inherent weaknesses:

1) God does not merely react to sin as if He is unaware of it. The angelic conflict doctrine implies a challenge to God’s sovereignty and all-knowing nature. God’s creation of humanity was part of His eternal plan. There is no biblical indication that God created humans in response to the angels’ rebellion.

2) The angelic conflict doctrine suggests that fallen angels had an opportunity to have faith and be “saved,” but they rejected it. (Some versions propose that all angels rebelled, but two-thirds repented and were saved). The Bible does not support such claims. In fact, 1 Peter 1:12 implies that angels are intrigued by the proclamation of the gospel through the Holy Spirit, indicating that salvation is a mystery to them.

3) The angelic conflict doctrine asserts that Satan devastated the earth, leading to the destruction of the original creation and necessitating a “re-creation.” However, there is no substantial biblical proof of a pre-existing earth before the current one.

4) The angelic conflict doctrine tries to connect specific periods of human history (e.g., the Old Testament era, the Church Age, the tribulation, etc.) with different stages of Satan’s celestial “trial.” This results in a convoluted, highly speculative narrative loosely based on Scripture. The entire angelic conflict doctrine relies heavily on assumptions and extensive interpretation of God’s Word.

Like many doctrinal errors, the angelic conflict doctrine stems from an imbalance in doctrine. While most Christians underestimate the importance of the isIssues of spiritual warfare, as Paul describes in Ephesians 6, this doctrine errs in the other direction. In this case, people place an overemphasis on the activity of angels.

The motivation for God’s creation was not the sin of angels or a courtroom objection of Satan. God willed to create all things despite the rebellion of men and angels.