How Could the Angels Fall? | Why Satan Turned Against God

If the angels existed in the presence of God and beheld His divine glory, how could Satan—or any angel—possibly choose to turn away from Him?We explore what the Eastern Church Fathers teach about the nature of angels, their free will, the angelic hierarchy, and the fall of Satan. Nathan​ examines five factors that help explain how beings created in communion with God could nevertheless rebel against Him, including pride, envy,​ intellectual passions, and the possibility of God's pedagogical withdrawal.Along the way, Nathan discusses the nine orders of angels, competing patristic explanations for Satan's rebellion, why some Fathers connect his fall to​ the creation of humanity, and what angelic freedom can teach us about our own relationship with God.======================================Timestamps00:00 How Could an Angel Fall?00:47 What Is an Angel?02:09 Angels as Created Beings03:21 Free Will and Self-Determination04:23 Angels as Ministering Spirits05:10 How Angels Mediate God's Energies07:18 How Creatures Participate in God08:39 The Hierarchy of Angels09:06 The Nine Orders of Angels10:23 What Does the Fall of Angels Mean?13:13 How Could Angels Reject God?15:50 Five Factors Behind the Fall16:38 Not All Angels Experience God Equally17:32 The Intellectual Passions18:33 Pride, Envy, and Satan's Rebellion19:38 Did Satan Fall Because of Humanity?21:15 How Satan Led Other Angels into Rebellion22:39 Divine Hiddenness and Free Will24:56 Do Angels Leave God's Presence?25:17 Why God May Withdraw His Presence26:58 How the Angels May Have Been Tested27:26 Final Thoughts======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:C​an the Devil be Saved? https://youtu.be/1nIJhti5hqw​ ​​Is Rational Unbelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY​Is Non-Resistant Unebelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/9B1G44hywd0​Is God Truly Hidden: https://youtu.be/R4Y0JBZtrRMAll links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast