To answer this question properly, one must have a thorough knowledge of THE ANGELIC HIERARCHY in heaven.
WHAT IS THE ANGELIC HIERARCHY:
The angelic hierarchy is simply the order in which angels are placed in heaven, starting at the throne of God and working down to the lobes of heaven.
This order is a matter of positioning, authority and power because God is a God of order. Not all angels have direct access to His throne. There are those who have the greatest privilege of being placed closer to the throne of God because of their role. And then there are others who are far from the throne of God, it all depends on their role, the work they do in heaven and the reason they were created, which defines and determines their positioning in heaven.
From a biblical perspective, there are countless angels in heaven. So there are thousands of angels in heaven who are under the authority and command of God. For the sake of order, God has arranged them in groups in a circle around the throne of God.
They form what we call "THE ANGELIC CHOIRS"
WHAT ARE ANGELIC CHOIRS?
An angelic choir is a group of angels of the same family or species who are called to accomplish the same mission, to exercise the same role or to do the same work in heaven.
THE ANGELIC HIERARCHY IN HEAVEN:
To understand what position Lucifer occupied in heaven before his fall, we must first seek to understand according to the Bible in which angelic group Lucifer was in heaven?
According to THE ANGELIC HIERARCHY there are nine angelic choirs in heaven starting from the throne of God to the lobe of heaven. The nine angelic choirs are divided into three groups: at the top, the first hierarchy is composed of the Seraphim, the Cherubim and the Thrones; then come the Dominations, the Virtues, the Powers; then the Angels, the Archangels and the Principalities.
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND:
Here is the list of the nine angelic choirs divided into three groups of angels in heaven.
FIRST GROUP:
1. SERAPHIM
2. CHERUBIM
3. THRONES
SECOND GROUP:
4. DOMINATIONS
5. VIRTUES (SOVEREIGNS)
6. POWERS
THIRD GROUP:
7. PRINCIPALITIES
8. ARCHANGELS
9. ANGELS.
We now have a clear picture of the ANGELIC HIERARCHY that can lead us to try to answer our question "WHAT POSITION DID SATAN OCCUPIED IN HEAVEN BEFORE HIS FALL?"
Let us ask ourselves this question:
HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE SATAN LUCIFER BEFORE HIS FALL:
By asking this question, it will lead us to understand in which categories or families of angels was Lucifer in heaven? And In which categories or families of angels does the Bible place him?
The Bible confirms in the book of EZEKIEL 28:14 that Lucifer was a high-ranking cherub before his fall, to understand "WHAT POSITION DID SATAN OCCUPIED IN HEAVEN BEFORE HIS FALL?" his function and role in the heavenly government before his fall, we must first study and seek to understand who is a CHERUB? what is the role of a CHERUB in heaven? What position does a cherub occupy in the angelic hierarchy in heaven?
EZEKIEL 28:14
You were a covering cherub with outstretched wings; I set you, and you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the stones of fire.
In this portion of Scripture, we clearly see that Satan Lucifer is placed according to the Bible in the family of angels called THE CHERUB.
WHO IS A CHERUB?
Cherub is a name given in the Christian Bible to a category of angels. They are generally described in the Christian tradition as bodiless angels, reduced to a winged head. Cherubim are just as mysterious, because they are attributed wild traits similar to those of humans and animals, confirming their warlike nature.
WHO IS A CHERUB ACCORDING TO JUDAISM:
In the Hebrew religion the cherub is an Angel responsible for ensuring the task of guardian (Cherub simply means guardian of the temple). Cherubim are therefore the guardians of the temple and the throne of God. They are extremely powerful angels,
they are part of the category of warrior and protective angels. and whose specific attributes are science and wisdom.
WHO IS A CHERUB ACCORDING TO MODERN CHRISTIANITY:
In modern Christianity, cherubim are the angels of the second choir of the first angelic hierarchy. They precede the thrones and follow the seraphim. Cherubim are the throne bearers of the Almighty, always attentive to God. Cherubim are so bright that none of the lower angels in the hierarchy can see them.
CHERUBM HAVE A MYSTERIOUS SIDE:
Because of their mysterious side, often when the Bible wants to teach us its types of angels (CHERUBM), they are often described as animals to describe their wild and animal side (Ezekiel 41:18-19) or sometimes as human figures like kings or princes.
This is why the cherub called Lucifer is represented in the book of Ezekiel 28:12 as the king of Tyre. Indeed, the prophet in this verse uses the image of the king of Tyre to teach us the origin and position occupied by the cherub called Lucifer in heaven before his fall.
IN CONCLUSION:
We can conclude from this Bible study on the question asked "WHAT POSITION DID SATAN OCCUPIE IN HEAVEN BEFORE HIS FALL?" that Satan being biblically classified in the family of angels called CHERUB he was therefore positioned in heaven in the first category of angels forming the second ANGELIC CHOIR behind THE SERAFIN.
The mission of the cherubim was to guard and protect the throne of God in heaven, which is why they are called the guardians of the temple.
Protective cherub as the Bible presents lucifer in the book of Ezekiel 28:14 Which means that he was created to protect and guard the throne of God which represents the heavenly sanctuary that the book of Ezekiel 28:13 describes as Eden, the garden of God. Unfortunately, the one who was supposed to protect the garden of God desecrated the heavenly sanctuaries by his violence and sinned against God EZEKIEL 28:18.
To conclude this article, we understand that, as mysterious as they are, the angels of the Bible are often described as having human qualities, speaking like humans and having human-sounding names. This is why some angels have the ability to communicate with human beings as if they were of the same species as humans.
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