Lonewolf wrote:Did the fall of man (Adam's sin) and the fall of Lucifer and the fallen angels, did it occur right about the same time, or was there an age old interlude between one event and the other?
If the rebellion started in heaven, and the fallen angels where cast down to earth, why then build a garden and place man in that same planet where the tempter and adversary with his minions could have a chance to continue their rebellion through man's fall?
That's the first part of the question., the second part is, if the fallen angels before they felled, were free to chose between serving God or not, and having chosen to rebel, why would man be made given the same free choice to act?
And finally, if there will be a resurrection for the believers, in which they will live for eternity, will they continue to be free to chose and act between serving God or not?
There are a few views on the fall of Satan and His angels.
Some argue that it happened after Adam ate the apple, when God cursed Satan ( the serpent), some note that during Job' time Satan was still allowed to come and go as he pleased.
Jesus said that He saw Satan fall, BUT just because He used a past tense when speaking doesn't mean it was an event in the past ( we do that even know when we write at times too).
Revelation tells us it was after Satan tried to devour the Saviour Child BUT Revelation is so full of symbolisims and the chronology may or may not be sequential, so...
That the Sons of God came down before and during Noah's time is clear BUT that doesn't mean that is when they fell.
IMO, Satan's fall came when Christ's Kingdom came to be.
Revelation 12, which is the only place the speaks of the Fall ( other than Christ's comment on it in Luke 10:18), tells us that it was when Satan tried to devour the male child who was to rule all nations, that "His tail" brought down 1/3 of the "stars of heaven" (Angels). Some view the child as Israel BUT the context tends to point to Christ, especially here:
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
It seems to be stating that the fall happened with the coming of Christ.
As for the free will thing for the resurrected believers:
Unless God removes all freedom of choice and makes all perfect like Him ( Which He won't/can't do), then yes, there is always the possibility of rebellion, BUT I think that in this NEW Earth and NEW Heaven we will be so in union with God through Christ that the notion of rebellion will be inconceivable.