This is a two-part question. The first part asks, “Did God know Satan would rebel?” According to Scripture, God is omniscient, meaning He is "all-knowing." Verses like Job 37:16, Psalm 139:2–4, Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 5:21, Isaiah 46:9–10, and 1 John 3:19–20 confirm that God's knowledge is infinite. He knows everything—past, present, and future.
The superlatives in these verses—“perfect in knowledge,” “His understanding has no limit,” and “He knows everything”—emphasize that God’s knowledge is not only greater than ours but infinitely so. He knows all things fully and completely. If His knowledge were not perfect, there would be a flaw in His nature, and a flawed being cannot be God. Therefore, the answer to the first question is clear: Yes, God knew Satan would rebel.
The second part asks, “Why did God create Satan knowing he would rebel?” This question is more complex because it seeks a “why” answer, and the Bible often does not provide exhaustive explanations for God’s purposes. However, we can come to a partial understanding based on Scripture.
Since God is omniscient, His decision to create Satan, knowing he would rebel, must align with His sovereign plan. This suggests that Satan’s fall was allowed as part of God’s greater purpose. To explore this further, consider these key points:
Lucifer’s original purpose was good. Before his rebellion, Lucifer had a good and perfect role in God’s creation. His fall did not negate God’s original intent for good.
God’s sovereignty extends even to Satan. Even in his fallen state, Satan remains under God’s ultimate control. God uses Satan’s evil actions to fulfill His holy purposes (see 1 Timothy 1:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5).
God’s salvation plan was eternal. Revelation 13:8 reveals that God’s plan for salvation was set before the foundation of the world. Sin and rebellion, which entered through Satan, made salvation necessary and allowed God to demonstrate His grace and mercy.
Suffering played a role in Christ’s perfection as Savior. Satan’s rebellion brought suffering into the world, but through that suffering, Jesus was made the perfect Savior for humanity: “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God… should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered” (Hebrews 2:10).
God’s plan included defeating Satan’s works. From the beginning, God’s purpose in Christ was to destroy the works of Satan (see 1 John 3:8).
Ultimately, we cannot fully grasp why God chose to create Satan knowing he would rebel. It might seem logical to think the universe would be “better” without Satan, but such assumptions are flawed. Declaring that God should have acted differently is unwise. Claiming to know better than God how to govern creation mirrors Satan’s sin of self-exaltation (Isaiah 14:13–14).
In the end, we trust that God, in His infinite wisdom and goodness, has a perfect plan that surpasses our understanding.
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