We know a little bit about the fall of Lucifer, from Revelation 12, which talks about how a war in heaven broke out between the good angels. But is there more to this story? Venerable Mary of Agreda, in her masterpiece book, “The Mystical City of God,” does indeed fill in some of the blanks into this mysterious tale.
Sister Mary of Agreda was a seventeenth-century Spanish nun who had many visions of heaven and the afterlife. She is even said to have appeared in the Southwestern United States to teach Indians the faith. While her writings are a private revelation and are NOT part of the deposit of faith, in my opinion, they are genuine (This book does have an Imprimatur). There are just too many details to be made up.
Creation
Her story begins with the creation of the world, as told in Genesis. According to her, the earth was created with space for hell and purgatory in the middle of it. As it is, the middle of the earth is indeed full of fiery molten rock and lava, i.e., a “lake of fire.” At the moment God said, “Let there be light!”, there was heavenly light, or the creation of the angels, who reflect the light of God.
In the first instant of their creation, all of the angels were endowed with beauty, intellect, will, and numerous other graces, according to the will of God. Each angel was given different gifts from every other angel. In the case of Lucifer, he had the greatest intellect and the most beauty. He marveled at himself, and attributed all of his gifts to himself, instead of coming from God. In other words, pride set in almost immediately.
In the second instant, God told the angels that they were to worship Him and serve Him. The good angels immediately did so, out of reverence and awe of Almighty God. Lucifer and many other angels initially did this too, but only out of a sense of duty, and not because they really wanted to. Thus, the seed was sown for rebellion.
Lucifer’s Rebellion
God then told the angels that He was going to create a lower form of life, humans, and that the angels were to assist man in all of his endeavors. And not only that, but God was going to become one of them, and they were to also worship and adore Him in his human form, just as they now adore Him in His spiritual form. This was just too much for Lucifer to take. He was not about to serve and to help out a lower form of life than himself, and he certainly wasn’t going to adore one of them, even if that man was God Himself. He demanded that if there was to be a union between divinity and man, that it be him, and not God. He induced many other angels to follow his rebellion, promising them that he would set up his own kingdom apart from God’s. He was not about to be a part of God’s family, whose purpose was to serve God and man and to love him and his creation.
A Heavenly Vision
Then, to make matters worse for Lucifer, a great sign appeared in heaven at that time, which was the same one that St. John saw in the Book of Revelation. A Woman clothed with the sun appeared, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. God explained to the angels that this was to be His future earthly mother, one more pure and holy than any of the angels. He explained that he was to come into the world through her virgin womb, and the angels were to also serve her and be subject to her, their Queen. At this point, Lucifer spouted blasphemy after blasphemy at the Lord, pledging to destroy the human race, and persecuting this Woman, and destroying her position in heaven.
This aroused the anger of God, who then told Lucifer that this woman would crush his head, and through her, he would be vanquished. (God knew that Lucifer’s great pride would be more wounded by being overcome by a lowly female human, than by Him, Almighty God.) He said that any man or woman on earth who spiritually assumed, to the best of their ability, the nature of the incarnate Word and this Woman would take the seats of Lucifer and his followers in heaven. God allowed all of the angels to see the many graces he had bestowed upon this woman, and how He would work through her to do so many wonderful things. The good angels were in loving awe, but this infuriated the bad angels even more, who then vowed to destroy the human race.
Sister Mary compared the vision of the Woman clothed with the sun to the rainbow, which was a sign of the promise to never flood the world again. She says that the Woman represents the race of human beings, and therefore God will not punish mankind in the same unforgiving manner as he punished the angels. In other words, if mankind sins, they will be allowed to regain the graces that they lost, through the grace from God flowing through the holiness of the Woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The crown of twelve stars on the Woman’s head in the book of Revelation not only represents Israel (the twelve tribes), and the Church (the twelve Apostles), but also the twelve virtues of Mary (innocence, simplicity, humility, patience, obedience, love for God, charity, contempt for the world, purity, silence, meekness, and modesty). The crescent moon, which represents the darkness of sin, is under her feet, while she is clothed with the sun, the symbol of grace. The twelve hundred and sixty days that the bible describes as her time spent protected in the desert is actually the amount of time Mary was in total solitude receiving unlimited graces from God, thus preserving her from the stain of sin for even one second.
Conversely, Sister Mary says that the seven heads of the dragon described in Revelation 12 are the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, envy, anger, pride, gluttony, and sloth. The ten horns of the dragon represent the “
triumphs of the iniquity and malice of the dragon, and the vain and arrogant glorification and exaltation which he attributed to himself in the execution of his wickedness.
The tail of the dragon represents the false promises and phony friendship of Lucifer to the apostate angels, and which swept them out of heaven into the middle of the earth, aka hell.
She then explains that the pain of the Woman “travailing in birth” was not birth pangs, but rather, Mary crying aloud for what was going to happen to her Son, namely, the crucifixion. Since Mary was born without sin, she was free from the curse of Eve, i.e., birth pangs. Other theologians suggest that these birth pangs also represent Mary’s pain in interceding for us, the rest of her children, who prefer sin over Jesus much of the time. The word “travail” doesn’t always mean “birth pangs,” and is used in other places in the bible as a euphemism for the world awaiting the acceptance of Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:22: We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies .
Galatians 4:19: My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!
War in Heaven!
The war described in Revelation 12 then commenced, with Michael and the good angels defeating Lucifer and the bad angels. According to Sister Mary, the following conversation took place between Lucifer and Michael:
Lucifer said,“Unjust is God in raising the human nature above the angelic. I am the most exalted and beautiful angel and the triumph belongs to me, It is I who am to place my throne above the stars and who shall be like unto the Highest; I will subject myself to no one of an inferior nature, and I will not consent that anyone take precedence of me or be greater than I.
But St. Michael answered:
Who is there like unto the Lord, who dwells in the heavens, or who to compare himself to Him? Be silent, enemy, cease thy dreadful blasphemies, and since iniquity has taken possession of thee, depart from our midst, wretch, and be hurled in thy blind ignorance and wickedness into the dark night and chaos of the infernal pains. But let us, O spirits of the Lord, honor and reverence this blessed Woman, who is to give human flesh to the eternal Word; and let us recognize Her as our Queen and Lady.
The bad angels were then defeated and were hurled into hell, into the middle of the earth. Sister Mary then details a meeting that Lucifer had with his followers. In this meeting, Lucifer lays out the plan for the destruction of the Woman who God had said would crush his head, and also of mankind, to his demon followers. He vowed to create many false sects and religions which would lead mankind away from God. He said that he would raise up many bold and arrogant men, who would do his bidding by causing sin to flourish on the earth. Lucifer said that the men and women who would do the best work for him, by leading the most people to hell, would then be punished the most in hell, as their reward for doing his bidding while alive on earth.
God’s Declaration
Sr. Mary says that God also declared the following:
All will understand, that those who are humble and peaceful, those that practice virtue, that suffer and yet forgive, are the followers of Christ and our sons. Nobody will be capable of entering by his own free will into our kingdom, unless he denies himself, and, taking up his cross, follows his Chief and Master (Matthew. 10:22). Our kingdom shall be composed of the perfect, who have legitimately labored and fought, persevering to the end. These will take part in the reign of our Christ, now begun and determined upon. For the accuser of his brethren has been cast down; the triumph of Christ is secured; to Him belong exaltations and glory, since He is to wash and purify men with his blood. Therefore only He shall be worthy to open the book of the law of grace (Rev. 5: 9), He is the way, the light, the truth and the life (John14:6), through which men may come to Me. He alone shall open the gates of heaven; He shall be the Mediator (I Tim. 2:5) and the Advocate of mortals, in Him they will have a Father, a Brother (I John 2:1), and Protector after having been freed from their accuser and persecutor. And the angels, who like true sons, have shared in the work of our salvation and power and have defended the reign of my Christ, shall likewise be honored and crowned through all the eternities of eternities in my presence.
Adam and Eve
In the next chapter of the book, the creation of Adam and Eve was hidden from Lucifer, who really believed that Eve was the Woman in the vision. He thought that by causing her to sin, he would be crushing her before she could crush his head. He had no idea that Mary, born some 4000 years later, would actually be “The Woman.” The irony here is that the great deceiver of mankind was himself deceived by his own ego and pride!
You can get this great book (which has much more commentary on events in the bible), HERE
34 thoughts on “The Fall of Lucifer”
Listen to this presentation.
https://youtu.be/mv7e29X5psM
Love it ⛪️🙏❤️
I have never heard the meanings of all the representations from homilies, retreats and conferences.
Thank you and May God bless you and keep you🙏🙏🙏
Every baptized Catholic May be engaged in evangelization to the fullness of truth.
Thanks Luis – Me neither, until I read her book. Highly recommend you buy a copy and read the whole thing, because there is a LOT more in there…
Ray
Words from Paul to ponder:
2 Timothy 4
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
4 I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom:
2 Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.
3 For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears:
4 And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables.
Wonderful excerpt from the Mystical City Of God. I’ll forward this to others!
Thanks Tom – Highly recommend you buy the book and read the whole thing, because there is a LOT more in there than my little summation…
Peace – Ray
“There is nothing in my Catholic version of the Bible, or yours, that says Mary crushes the head of Satan.”
Even if that were true, which it’s not, it doesn’t change the fact that the Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin will crush the head of Satan.
There is nothing in your Catholic Bible that states how many books the Bible has or which ones are inspired. There is nothing in your Catholic Bible that states Christ has two wills. There is nothing in your Catholic Bible that tells you which parts of the Bible should be taken literally and which should not. There is nothing in your Catholic Bible that specifically states how many processions there are in the Holy Trinity.
You are not the interpreter of the Bible, nor are you infallible in your understanding; the Catholic Church is. And She says otherwise. Genesis 3:15.
“I will put enmities between thee and the woman (the Blessed Virgin), and thy seed and her seed (Christ). She shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
Is the RC Church infallible? Take a close look at its history.
Also take a look at Revelation 17 and 18, which some suggest describes the coming one world religion headed by the false prophet. The description of it seems to reflect the Vatican.
I’m not infallible nor the interpreter of the Bible, but is the Church?
One day we shall find out, won’t we?
“And yet the Book of Revelation (Chapter 20) says something different about the demise of Satan.”
The Apocalypse doesn’t say anything different about the demise of Satan; chapter 20 merely tells us about Satan’s final defeat.
There is absolutely nothing in Sacred Scripture that contradicts the fact that the Blessed Virgin crushes Satan’s head, as the Church has held for long centuries. God constantly works through intermediaries, and He chose the Blessed Virgin to bring Christ to us. It was through Her humility, in Her role as Mother of God conceived without sin, that the pride of the devil is defeated. Luke 1:52-53.
As Sister Mary of Agreda relates in her book, nothing humiliated Satan more than to be defeated by a mere woman. It was the ultimate humiliation and a just recompense for the rebellion he instigated, which resulted in the hideous sufferings and death of the Son of God.
There is nothing in my Catholic version of the Bible, or yours, that says Mary crushes the head of Satan.
There is nothing in scripture both old and new testament that points out that Mary is the one to defeat and crush Satan’s head. That is heresy. Revelation 20:10 clearly tells us how Satan’s demise comes about and who defeats him. Satan Cast into the Lake of Fire
…9And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.…
Satan is the father of all lies Christ said. One of his biggest lies was making the world believe that Mary has a role to play in end times. She is Jesus mother and worthy of honor and respect. But not praise and worship. Christ would have told us if she was gonna play a further role in our salvation. But he does not. Furthermore Christ never speaks about her in the gospels at all with the exception of a few moments where he interacts with her. I will add that Christ does testify about John the baptist by saying this after his death. Matthew 11:11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” Ponder on that statement by Christ. No one greater than John the baptist. No one greater in both old and new testament.
Very interesting! Does this mean that Lucifer and the other angels were created in the state of concupiscence? Were they created outside of Heaven? If not, how was it possible for them to experience sings of pride, ambition and defiance, etc. and refuse to serve God?
Thank you for the review of The Mystical City of God.
I read all four volumes and was totlly enamored by the humilty of Our Lady.
However, doesn’t scripture say that the rebellious angels were thrown down to ‘earth’–not hell?
Revelation 9 tells us about 4 angels that will be released in the area of the Euphrates River at the sound of the sixth trumpet to create havoc in the world which will lead to a war that kills 1/3 of mankind. Many students of eschatology believe that we are close, or it may have started.
According to the book, hell is in the center of earth, which is in the article I wrote above..
thank you good author for shareing and giving us this ..i knew this , being a lover of God and Mary & Catholic schooling all my life !!! God bless you !!! Pray pra pray ,, the world and our leader are leading us to peril…get it folks.!!!! De’ JMJ+++
thanks Deanna!
“My Catholic Bible says nothing about the woman crushing the head of the serpent.”
That is because you are using a modernized version of the Bible. Traditional Catholic Bibles, such as the Douai Rheims, use the word “She” in Genesis 3:15. It is taken from the Vulgate, which was used by the Church for centuries as the normative translation of Sacred Scripture (“ipsa”).
The word in the Hebrew text can be translated as he, she, they, or it, but the Catholic Church has traditionally used “She.”
Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed. She shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”
Bible DR version footnote: “‘She shall crush.’ Ipsa, the woman. So diverse of the fathers read this place, conformably to the Latin. Others read it ipsum, viz., the seed. The sense is the same, for it is by her seed, Jesus Christ, that the woman crushes the serpent’s head.”
Besides the fact that the normative Bible of the Church for centuries used “She” in Genesis 3:15, further proof that the Catholic Church has always considered this passage to be “She” is found in the, literally, thousands of statues of the Blessed Virgin that Catholics through the centuries have adorned their churches, monasteries, convents, homes, gardens, et cetera, with, showing the Blessed Virgin standing on a snake. It’s universally accepted by the Church.
Even further, the Church has affirmed as worthy of belief the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to Saint Catherine Laboure, beginning in AD 1830. Saint Catherine was instructed to promote the Miraculous Medal, which has gone throughout the world in the thousands.
Our Lady showed Saint Catherine what was supposed to be on the medal. From the link below: “Mary is standing upon a globe, crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Gn 3:15).”
https://www.amm.org
And yet the Book of Revelation (Chapter 20) says something different about the demise of Satan.
I can tell you for sure that the position on the fall of Lucifer outlined by Mary of Agreda and highlighted in your article is the position that most of the exorcists in the US hold to. Father M who is probably the most experienced exorcist in the US taught this same demonology at the Mundelein conference on Exorcism back in 2008. Who is in a better position to know than Catholic priests who have real encounters with these apostate angels who fell like a flaming torch tossed from the heights into a dark pit?
Read In Sinu Jesu. Locutions to a holy priest. Words from Our Lord and Our Lady 2007.
Last message in the book Thursday, April 14, 2016. God is renewing His Church and the priesthood. Young priests today are on fire with love of God and His Church. Pray for our beloved Church and our priests. And read chapter 675 in the Catechism. Let us not grow weary and discouraged. Better times are ahead here on earth. Pray, hope and don’t worry – words from St. Padre Pio are more timely now than ever. We will never give up because we have Jesus with us and the holy angels and saints interceding for us.
I am not so sure I believe all of this. The angels were created before God created the earth and the prophecy about the woman crushing the head of the serpent only was proclaimed after the fall of man not before.
Could have been proclaimed twice…Sure explains why Lucifer went after Eve and not Adam…
14 Then the Lord God said to the snake:
Because you have done this,
cursed are you
among all the animals, tame or wild;
On your belly you shall crawl,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
They will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel.
My Catholic Bible says nothing about the woman crushing the head of the serpent. It does mention her offsprings striking at the head of the serpents.
Go to Revelation 20 to learn about the demise of Satan.
What you just said contradicts the book of Genesis
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13 When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year. 15 The serpent, however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current. 16 But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. 17 Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. 18 It took its position on the sand of the sea.
How does the message that you shared in the article fit into the above scriptures from Revelation 12?
“The twelve hundred and sixty days that the bible describes as her time spent protected in the desert is actually the amount of time Mary was in total solitude receiving unlimited graces from God, thus preserving her from the stain of sin for even one second.”
Where did you find this? I checked Revelation 12 in several Catholic bibles and found none with footnotes suggesting your statement. At least one indicated that the woman represents Israel.
I found it in the book, the Mystical City of God, which is what my article is about. The woman does indeed represent Israel, and the Church….And that woman is Mary…
Love this Ray – keep up the great work!
Thanks Debi!
GREAT Ida…Lots more to read. It really fills in the blanks for a lot of stuff in the Bible, and explains theology in a very easy to understand way. God bless you!
Ray
Fascinating! A wonderful and insightful read. I’m definitely looking for that book.