Question:
Was this earth made and in the condition of Genesis 1:2 any time before creation week? Also, when was Satan cast out into the earth?
Answer:
Genesis 1:1 seems to be cut off from the six days, which follow by the passage which intervenes. It is not said, “In six days the Lord created heaven and earth;” but, “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth.” (See Exodus 20:11). The first verse of Genesis carries us back to the beginning, whenever that was, as the time when God began His creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The book of John begins in the same way. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). That may pertain to the very material from which the heavens and the earth were made, the finishing of many things, and the calling into existence of our solar system with others. Then we read that “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2). See the Revised Version, “The earth was waste and void.” It was in a chaotic condition. Out of that chaotic condition, God’s creative and formative power brought the earth into the “very good” state it was at the close of the first six working days. (See Genesis 1:31).
Before that six days’ work angels existed; for we read in Job 38:4-7: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” In Isaiah 14:12-14 we learn that before he fell, Satan was named Lucifer, the Day Star, the Son of the Morning, and one of the morning stars. By reference to Revelation 22:16, we learn that the Son of God was one of the morning stars; in fact, Jesus declares: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” When the foundation of the earth was laid, there was perfect harmony in heaven. The morning stars sang together; the very thought implied that there was to come a time when they would not, or rather, the text was written when that harmony did not exist. All the sons of God, the heads of different worlds, sang together when this world was brought into existence. And yet shortly, seemingly, that harmony was dispelled. Lucifer was lifted up because of his beauty and corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness, we learn in Ezekiel 28, where the fallen angel is spoken of under the figure of the king of Tyre. In his pride, he fell.
His coming to this earth evidently was choice on his part in order to induce man to fall. He was cast out of heaven, where God dwells; he came to this earth, the newest creation in God’s universe, determined to overthrow those God had placed here. This he accomplished. Man yielded to his persuasion, and Satan became prince of the world; so when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came among them, as stated in Job 1 and 2, and he occupied this position until Christ Jesus the Lord came. Then it was that He met the tempter in the very fulness of his power; then, too, it was that He conquered; and then, too, was wholly fulfilled Revelation 12:7-12. That war in heaven continued from the time that Satan fell until the time that Christ died upon the cross; for Michael, which means, “Who is like God,” is none other than Christ; and that casting down was the utter casting down so that his appearance among the rulers or heads of worlds could no longer be recognized in heaven.
