The very first statement in the Bible is, “In the beginning.” This simple statement is the foundation of everything that follows. It gives humanity a starting point and allows us to appreciate everything that has occurred since that particular time. But we need to stop and think about this a little more closely. Everything has a beginning. We go to a ball game that starts at kickoff, or the Umpire says, “Play ball.” We go out to dinner and order food, or we shop for groceries. We usually take it for granted that things begin when we get there. There are hours of practice, field preparation, and ticket sales before each game; many hours went into stocking the grocery shelves, and someone had to order and prepare food before we ate at the restaurant. Things are always happening and are necessary before anything is started or created. God was not made at creation. God was in heaven before he created Earth and everything on it. God and Heaven have a history before the first day of our history in Genesis. In Psalms 90:2, the writers recognized that there was more to the story than just the beginning when it states, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
Scientifically and spiritually, humans must admit that Heaven existed before God made the Earth. Physics requires substance before substance can be created, and the Bible and our faith require us to believe in things we can’t explain. Many religions describe Heaven as the place where God, Jesus, Angels, and saved believers live. There are many descriptions of Heaven, but the fact remains that we will get to know Heaven when God takes us at our deaths.
In most cultures, heaven is synonymous with order: it contains the blueprints for creation, the mandate by which earthly rulers govern, and the standards by which to measure beauty, goodness, and truth. In religious thought and poetic fancy, heaven is not only a place but also a state of being. As such, it is characterized negatively as freedom from hunger, thirst, pain, deprivation, disease, ignorance, and strife, and positively as complete contentment, perfect knowledge, everlasting rest, ineffable peace, communion with God, and rapturous joy. Heaven is also understood as the reward for a life well lived, the fulfillment of the heart’s deepest desire, and the ultimate reference point for all human striving and hope. (Zeleski, n.d.)
There is no written history of Heaven by a firsthand eyewitness, but we know there is a distinct history referred to in numerous places in the Bible. In John 1:1 and Isaiah 9:6, we are told that God ruled the universe with love, mercy, and justice. God was kept company by Jesus and a host of angels. It is described that there was no beginning, and Heaven was ruled by love and happiness. Perfect harmony, constant worship, and love made existence perfect. No creature is happy when forced obedience is required. We should remember that there were no calendars or clocks in Heaven. A day was a thousand years and a thousand years was a day. The Alpha and the Omega are timeless. We humans cannot understand time on such a vast scale. Eternity is unimaginable.
At some point in eternity, a change in heaven’s happiness occurred, and harmony was torn apart. Lucifer, the highest-ranking angel, wanted to be like God and become the supreme leader. Isaiah 14:13 tells us that Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…… I will be like the Most High.” Ezekiel 28:12-15 tells us that God created Lucifer, giving him a high rank, beauty, and wisdom, but Lucifer abused this freedom and status. Lucifer soon created and harbored hate and sin in his heart. Lucifer began to demand worship and glory that belonged only to God. The perfect peace and harmony of Heaven was being destroyed.
God showed love and patience, but Lucifer’s pride and ego turned him into the angel of darkness, to be called Satan. Unfortunately, Lucifer’s power convinced many angels to follow him, and they became demons and followed Satan. War broke out in Heaven, and the Archangel Michael fought against the dragon (the devil/Satan) and expelled evil from Heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 describes this event, where Satan and the fallen angels were cast out.
This is usually where mankind asks why God did not destroy Satan, the Demons, and evil and be done with it. We are told that God rules Heaven with Love, mercy, and justice. God wants us to love, show mercy, and follow justice. “Even when Satan was cast out of heaven, the Lord did not immediately destroy him. Since only the relationship of love can be acceptable to the Creator, the loyalty of His creatures must depend upon a belief in His justice and mercy. God’s created beings were unprepared to understand the nature and results of sin.” (AskBible, 2024) God did not destroy Satan because He did not want us to serve Him out of fear. God wants us to follow Him out of love. By allowing Satan to exist, we can see the truth, mercy, and justice of God. Deuteronomy 32:4 states, “He (God) is the rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.”
AskBible. (2024, 1 9). What happened in heaven before the creation of man? Retrieved from AskBible: https://bibleask.org/what-happened-in-heaven-before-creation-of-man/
Zeleski, C. (n.d.). Heaven. Retrieved from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/heaven