The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by David Lee of Malaysia, from the tape GC 1301-N, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 16."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1981. All Rights Reserved.

Questioner

Are all demons "ex" or fallen angels?

John MacArthur's Answer

Let me give you a little diagram. Look at it this way. I’ll draw you a line like in a diagram, on the line there are angels. Angels…ok. Split the line, there are two kinds of angels. Up, we’ll make holy angels. Down, we’ll make fallen angels. Ok, so we have holy angels and fallen angels. Of the fallen angels, there are two kinds, loose and bound. The loose ones, are the one that are running around throughout the earth. The bound ones, there are two kinds, split it off again. Permanently bound, write Jude and 2 Peter, "Reserved in chains forever," and temporarily bound who will be loosed in Revelation 9, and I believe are the locusts that come out of the pit in the midst of the tribulation. But all demons are on that angelic strata, so all demons are fallen angels.

Questioner

So in other words, all demons were angels at one time?

John MacArthur's Answer

That’s right, they were all holy angels, they all fell at the same time, they were all cast down at the same moment, there was only one fall and it happened in one moment of eternity, and it was all over with. And one-third of all the angels fell according to Revelation 12, it says, "When the dragon fell he took one third of the stars with him." So there are two-third holy angels and one third fallen angels. And when the war between the two happens in the twelfth chapter of Revelation, in the Tribulation, the holy angels win, Michael and his holy angels are victorious. And they cast those fallen angels to the earth, so you have the loose ones on the earth, you have the temporarily bound ones released, and you have all of the rest of them that are in space cast to the earth and that’s what creates the horrible tribulation, because they all wind up on the earth at the same time. And the restrainer is pulled back and all hells breaks loose.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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