Can a "fallen angel" be saved?

You might recognize the subject line above.

 

It's the tag-line for my novel (and series) The Unfallen. 

 

Occasionally I get e-mails (or bad reviews) from people who want to argue the point. Even before the book has been released, they were reacting to the tag-line!

 

No, they insist, the fallen angels rebelled. Their fate is sealed.

 

My response to that? The Bible isn't about angels. The purpose of it isn't to tell their story.

 

In my book, I use the idea of an "unfallen" angel as a literary device. A story-telling vehicle. Don't get hung up on the particulars. The theology that's driving the narrative isn't angelology.

 

So, can a fallen angel be saved?

 

If we're honest, we have to admit we really don't know the answer to the question. There are a lot of "open questions" in the Bible that a lot of people have closed-minded opinions about.

 

And a lot of people say things that they think are true about the angels that are purely speculative. We don't know a lot about them. For instance, the Scriptures give us a range of depictions of angels ranging from the mundane (appearing as common humans, to the glorious (appearing to the shepherds to announce Jesus' birth) to the admittedly strange (how they're depicted in Revelation with eyeballs under their wings, etc.).

 

What I can say is that God can do whatever He wants. And we know from God's heart that he loves those He's created.

 

We know God created Lucifer as an exceedingly beautiful being, a beauty that was meant to reflect God's radiance. It's not a stretch at all to say that God loved him (Ezekiel 28:12ff).

 

Someone once asked me, "if Lucifer is so evil, why doesn't God just destroy him and be done with it?"

 

Someone else blurted out before I could answer: "Because the devil has to exist to give us a choice! For our free will!"

 

I sighed.

 

Because that's speculative. And it's kind of "anthropocentric." That's just a fancy word that means "human centered." You know, making everything about us.  

 

But then again, my answer is every bit as speculative.

 

The real reason (I suspect) that God doesn't erase Lucifer from existence isn't about us.

 

He probably doesn't destroy Lucifer for the same reason he doesn't destroy us despite the fact that we're so darned evil.

 

Because God is love... he even loves the devil... 

 

And God is infinitely patient. His mercy demands it. Even when he knows (according to his foreknowledge) that his patience will not yield change. That doesn't mean his patience wasn't worth it. Because it exhibits God's character. His love transcends what we often think God should do, logically speaking.

 

Like I said. I might be wrong about that. It's JUST an opinion. So don't take it as the truth.

 

But if it's right... that's not an idea that you should find especially troubling. Does it bother you that God might actually love Lucifer?

 

Think of it like this.

 

If God still loves Lucifer despite everything the devil has done... how much more can you be sure that he still loves you! No matter what you've done. No matter how much you've rebelled. No matter how many times you've failed.  

 

But that might not be your issue with the idea.

 

I know straight away that some of your are going to insist that the devil isn't real, just a metaphor, etc. You might be right, but I'm not so sure. The Bible speaks of him quite literally. If we want to reduce the devil to a metaphor it's usually because the idea of a devil or demons makes us uncomfortable.

 

Because we can't imagine why God would allow the devil to exist. Because we think we know better than God how He should deal with the rebellious Lucifer.

 

But we don't know better.

 

Here's the thing.

 

It shouldn't really bother us that the devil exists.

 

Because while the reality of devils/demons and spiritual warfare can be frightening... the war has already been won. We have the full armor of God ready at our disposal (Eph. 6:10-20).

 

I also believe it's wholly likely that our limited human senses (even with our scientific instruments) simply can't discern every reality that's out there. It's kind of arrogant, really, as a species to think that what we can see, feel, and touch, is the final arbiter of what is or isn't ultimately real.

 

We know there are animals for instance that see colors we can't. We can see some colors that animals can't. Does that mean that these colors don't exist? There are some animals who can perceive colors that we can't see or even imagine. All creatures have limitations.

 

That's one problem with enlightenment thought. The notion that the "scientific method" is the final arbiter of all things true/untrue. It presumes a primacy of human senses - which even science tells us (using its own method of observation) isn't true.

 

We can consider the existence of things we can't see. We can reason our way to it, to a point. But we know, with some certainty, that there is reality out there that is beyond what human beings

 

But back to the point at hand. Can a fallen angel be saved? 

 

Certain scriptures suggest that Lucifer's fate has been foreseen (Rev. 20:10). But then again, the passages aren't totally clear about that. It says even less about the the 1/3 of the other angels who fell with him, known as the demons (Rev. 12:3-4).

 

I've been told (by one angry reviewer) that Hebrews 2 answers the question with a definitive "no." But it doesn't say that. Not exactly. All Hebrews 2 really says is that saving us is His priority, that we are the ones who will inherit the new heaven and new earth. What the verses there imply about angels isn't totally clear. It's connected to a passage from Deuteronomy, and the point there isn't about the eternal destiny of fallen angels, either.

 

We really don't know if any of the fallen angels can or will be saved.

 

If God wants to give them a way, he'll do it.

 

We don't have a Scriptural revelation that tells us either way because the Bible is about how God created man, how man resists God, and how God has pursued us to save us.  

 

For all we know, there might be an entirely different revelation for angels, a whole different plan of salvation. Then again, maybe there isn't. We can't be dogmatic either way about open questions.

 

But I chose this theme for the book because it's illustrative. And (to be totally honest) the "question" tested well in my marketing. But the real question in this book is this:

 

Are there limits to how awful you've been in the past?

 

Do the deeds, actions, and beliefs you used to hold necessarily hold sway over your future? Do some things make you ineligible for redemption?

 

Still more, if Landon (the main character in my series) can find redemption despite what he used to be... and all the things he has done... surely you can, too. All of us can.

 

That doesn't mean it won't be easy. That doesn't mean he(we) won't face consequences for his(our) past.

 

The series is (like all my novels) fiction. Don't get hung up on the details, because that's not the point. What's more important is how the message in the story makes us reflect... how it helps us grow...

 

And the entire series isn't written yet. There may be things about Landon (and the demon he used to be) that he can't recall.. that he's forgotten... that might effect the calculus on the big question being asked here. Don't make any assumptions about what's going on with Landon until the series is over.  

 

After all, the "angry" reviewer I mentioned above said he didn't read past 150 pages. He made assumptions based on the "question," about how I intended to answer it.

 

No spoilers. Just a reminder that in fiction things aren't often/usually what they appear to be at the beginning.

 

If you're interested, check out a sample chapter of THE UNFALLEN here! Keep in mind, this isn't the final version of Chapter One... I'm modifying it regularly as I get feedback. But it will give you an idea about how the series is starting :)

 

Blessings,

Judah