Fall of the Angels

These spiritual beings, also created with a free will were like man liable to fall.  We are not given any detailed account of their history or any plan of their redemption except those very indirect references by the prophets.  When prophets came face to face with evil in some gross form, they were given a historic reference with the fall of the angels in the heavenly places.  The most elaborate reference comes from the Vision of Ezekiel as he confronts the sins of the King of the Tyre.

Eze 28:12  Son1121 of man120, take up5375 a lamentation7015 upon the king4428 of Tyrus6865, and say559 unto him, Thus saith559 the Lord136 GOD3069; Thou sealest up2856 the sum8508, full4392 of wisdom2451, and perfect3632 in beauty3308.

Eze 28:13  Thou hast been in Eden5731 the garden1588 of God430; every precious3368 stone68 was thy covering4540, the sardius124, topaz6357, and the diamond3095, the beryl8658, the onyx7718, and the jasper3471, the sapphire5601, the emerald5306, and the carbuncle1304, and gold2091: the workmanship4399 of thy tabrets8596 and of thy pipes5345 was prepared3559 in thee in the day3117 that thou wast created1254. sardius: or, ruby beryl: or, chrysolite emerald: or, chrysoprase

Eze 28:14  Thou art the anointed4473 cherub3742 that covereth5526; and I have set5414 thee so : thou wast upon the holy6944 mountain2022 of God430; thou hast walked up and down1980 in the midst8432 of the stones68 of fire784.

Eze 28:15  Thou wast perfect8549 in thy ways1870 from the day3117 that thou wast created1254, till iniquity5766 was found4672 in thee.

Eze 28:16  By the multitude7230 of thy merchandise7404 they have filled4390 the midst8432 of thee with violence2555, and thou hast sinned2398: therefore I will cast thee as profane2490 out of the mountain2022 of God430: and I will destroy6 thee, O covering5526 cherub3742, from the midst8432 of the stones68 of fire784.

Eze 28:17  Thine heart3820 was lifted up1361 because of thy beauty3308, thou hast corrupted7843 thy wisdom2451 by reason of5921 thy brightness3314: I will cast7993 thee to the ground776, I will lay5414 thee before6440 kings4428, that they may behold7200 thee.

Eze 28:18  Thou hast defiled2490 thy sanctuaries4720 by the multitude7230 of thine iniquities5771, by the iniquity5766 of thy traffick7404; therefore will I bring forth3318 a fire784 from the midst8432 of thee, it shall devour398 thee, and I will bring5414 thee to ashes665 upon the earth776 in the sight5869 of all them that behold7200 thee.

Satan is never mentioned by name in this passage.
This is a prophecy against the "Prince of Tyre".
But the prince is saying  "I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods"  We could possibly assume that this prince did say that.  Most emperors of the Aryan tradition as well as the Egyptian tradition did say that they represented God on earth or they are god incarnate and the power and authority are given to them.  Thus it is not far fetched to think that this prince of Tyre was one of them.

 But then  Ezekiel is saying that the "King of Tyre"  was in the Garden of Eden and he was "the seal of perfection."   This would immediately indicate that Ezekiel is not referring to the King of Tyre at all but is pointing us towards the original sinner -  the beginner of evil who rebelled against God  - who is represented here in the Prince of Tyre.  

 Then it goes on to identify this person as a  "guardian cherub" (literally, "cherub who covers")  who was shining being.  He was apparently one of the two angels who covered the mercy seat with their wings (see Heb. 8:5; 9:5, 23-24; Exo. 25:20; 37:9; I Kings 6:19-28; 8:6-7; I Chr. 28:18; II Chr.3:10-13; 5:7-8).

Cherubim (singular cherub) is a class of winged angels who functioned primarily as guards (Gen. 3:24) or attendants (Ezekiel 10:3-22).
The only New Testament reference to cherubim is in a description of the furnishings of the holy of holies as the seat between which God Spoke. (Heb. 9:5).

Texts descriptive of the appearance and activities of cherubim reflect two aspects.
One is in the visions of the presence of God attended by living creatures (cherubim and seraphim, Isa. 6:2-6; Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:3-22).
The other is cherubims that cover the mercy seat.  (Ex. 25:18-22; 1 Kings 6:23-35; 2 Chron. 3:7-14). Two cherubs are said to cover the mercy seat from either side. 

These two together gives a picture of a Cherub who was the closest being to God -  God dwelling between, enthroned upon, or riding upon the cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 22:11; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron. 13:6; 28:18; Psalms 18:10; 80:1; 99:1; Isaiah 37:16   Ez 1, 10 ).

 

St. Augustine in his sublime comment on Ps.79: 2, "Who sitteth upon the Cherubim":

Cherubim means the Seat of the Glory of God and is interpreted: Fullness of Knowledge. Though we realize that cherubim are exalted heavenly powers and virtues; yet if thou wilt, thou too shalt be one of the cherubim. For if cherubim means, Seat of God, remember what the Scripture says: The soul of the just is the Seat of Wisdom.