Hello all,

Question on Angels in heaven and their free will.

While I understand they have free will in heaven, how did the fallen angels fall initially?

As in, didn't they make their eternal choice to serve God and thus were in heaven as angels already?
Or when they were created, they were given an initial choice to stay in heaven and serve God or leave heaven and reject God?
So, was heaven initially like their 'Garden of Eden' where the fallen angels 'ate of the forbidden fruit' and chose to reject God?

Cheers.

It is certain that they were tested before being admitted to the Beatific Vision. It is likely that they were tested at the moment of their creation.

First Timothy 5:21 tells us, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.” No matter what view you take on election, the Bible is clear that God was somehow involved in choosing who would be saved—or, in this case, which of the angels would not sin.

At this point it would seem that the angels remaining loyal to God are sealed and can no longer lose their rank nor be cast out.

Love created.
Gods plan was to create man as flesh, and place him in heaven above the angels. Some of the angles disagreed and the rest went with him to heaven. The fallen angels failed to remember that they were created beings and are subject to judgment. Once their choice was made, they had no way to return to heaven, for without flesh there can be no good works for repentance and salvation. God realizing this and created flesh through his Son Jesus Christ. And his plan of Earth and Adam and Eve allowed his will, which was Man on Earth to live forever in the Garden of Eden with no pain, sorrow of sickness. No aging, or Death of the flesh. Here Eve was beguiled by the serpent, to know as God, and was told by the serpent how to know the difference between good and evil. This sealed the external tempter, or choice to her soul and now Adam watched a Eve choose Mans will over Gods will. Her sin was transgression of Gods word, and Adam now had a choice. He had to give up his eternal life of the flesh from The Garden of Eden only to be with Eve. He will now experience all of the sufferings that Eve will based on her choice. But of all the gift bestowed on the flesh, the greatest of these gifts are the creation of Love, for without choice there can be no Love. The gates of heaven were now closed to flesh. Nothing defiled enters the Kingdom. Friendship of the flesh to return to heaven was accomplished by repentance and firm commitment of amendment, confessing of sin and animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sin. But only sinless flesh can return to heaven. So God as Jesus Christ in the flesh came to earth set up the new Covenant, died for fulfillment of the old sacrifice and descended and destroyed death forever and got those that kept the old covenant and returned to heaven, opening the gate of heaven for flesh and souls redemption life everlasting for all mankind.

Gods' involvement is that it is Gods' will that it be Mans' will, as it also was the Angels will.

Peace always,
Stephen Andrew