The fallen angels have chosen the path of rebellion and evil. From the context of Revelation, we infer that before the creation of the visible world there was a creation of the purely spiritual world, that is, of the angels. What was then created are not just forces or relationships, but beings, people endowed with intelligence, freedom, and responsibility. So even in their existence, there is a moral choice.
The angels were tested, regarding God’s holy sovereignty, which they may or may not recognize. This was the first choice between good and evil. For the first time, the will of God was done. That this will be done is the Kingdom of God, thus the Kingdom of God began.
But at the same time, opposition to God’s will also begins. Beings endowed with the greatest strength of knowledge, will, freedom and the capacity for responsibility have rebelled against God’s dominion. Therefore they have chosen evil, they have become fallen angels.
Their whole being was at stake, the angels are in fact pure spirits and therefore simple, in each of their acts the totality of their being is expressed. So it was already in their first moment of life, which was, therefore, a moment of very clear awareness, of tremendous freedom, of full self-realization, without residue. Terrible act, from which only the real Angel came out – and the devil who is the truly lost being, the enemy of God and not just a demon.
The Fallen Angels in the Old Testament
The existence of evil would therefore derive from the rebellion, which took place in the mists of time, by a crowd of angels, who refused to obey God and the cosmic order he built. The leader of the rebel angels is Lucifer, – the bearer of light -, – the son of the morning – is also referred to as Satan. The prophet Isaiah (14, 12-15) speaks of Lucifer in the Old Testament:
How come you fell from the sky, o morning star, son of the dawn? How is it that you have landed, you who trampled the nations? You said in your heart – I will ascend into heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will be frozen on the assembly mountain, in the extreme north. I will climb to the top of the clouds, I will be similar to the Highest. Instead, they made you descend into the grave, into the depths of the pit.
The Fallen Angels in the Bible
In the Bible there are scattered hints of this rebellion, according to the book of Genesis, evil would pre-exist man since Adam and Eve were seduced by the tempter in the form of a serpent. Lucifer, the first, the most beautiful, the most resplendent of the angels created by God, performed an act of rebellion against his Creator.
Because, driven by pride and jealousy, as well as pride, he wanted to replace Him, that is, he wanted to become God. Other angels followed him in the rebellion, and all, after a terrible heavenly battle, were defeated by the angels faithful to the Almighty and then plunge into hell. The New Testament, in the book of Revelation, makes an extremely concise but precise reference to this battle (12, 7-9):
And there was a battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought but did not win, and their place was no longer found in heaven. And the great dragon, the ancient serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan, the seducer of the whole world. He was cast down, he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
The same book of Revelation, a few verses earlier, in revealing the prophecies about the end of the world and the final struggle between good and evil, underlines the great demonic power when it affirms.
And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, which had seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on its heads. And his tail drew a third of the stars in the sky and threw them to the earth.