| Geneva Study Bible And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning {f} fall from heaven. (f) Paul writes that the location of the devil and his angels is in the air, as is found in Eph 6:12, and he is said to be cast down from there by force, when his power is abolished by the voice of the Gospel. People's New Testament 10:18 I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Various interpretations of this statement are given, but it is probable that Christ refers to the original fall of Satan (Isa 14:12 Jude 1:6). The victory of his disciples over the demons is the harbinger of another fall, when Satan and all his works shall be destroyed. Wesley's Notes 10:18 I beheld Satan - That is, when ye went forth, I saw the kingdom of Satan, which was highly exalted, swiftly and suddenly cast down. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 18. I beheld-As much of the force of this glorious statement depends on the nice shade of sense indicated by the imperfect tense in the original, it should be brought out in the translation: "I was beholding Satan as lightning falling from heaven"; that is, "I followed you on your mission, and watched its triumphs; while you were wondering at the subjection to you of devils in My name, a grander spectacle was opening to My view; sudden as the darting of lightning from heaven to earth, lo! Satan was beheld falling from heaven!" How remarkable is this, that by that law of association which connects a part with the whole, those feeble triumphs of the Seventy seem to have not only brought vividly before the Redeemer the whole ultimate result of His mission, but compressed it into a moment and quickened it into the rapidity of lightning! Note.-The word rendered "devils," is always used for those spiritual agents employed in demoniacal possessions-never for the ordinary agency of Satan in rational men. When therefore the Seventy say, "the devils [demons] are subject to us," and Jesus replies, "Mine eye was beholding Satan falling," it is plain that He meant to raise their minds not only from the particular to the general, but from a very temporary form of satanic operation to the entire kingdom of evil. (See Joh 12:31; and compare Isa 14:12). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 10:17-24 All our victories over Satan, are obtained by power derived from Jesus Christ, and he must have all the praise. But let us beware of spiritual pride, which has been the destruction of many. Our Lord rejoiced at the prospect of the salvation of many souls. It was fit that particular notice should be taken of that hour of joy; there were few such, for He was a man of sorrows: in that hour in which he saw Satan fall, and heard of the good success of his ministers, in that hour he rejoiced. He has ever resisted the proud, and given grace to the humble. The more simply dependent we are on the teaching, help, and blessing of the Son of God, the more we shall know both of the Father and of the Son; the more blessed we shall be in seeing the glory, and hearing the words of the Divine Saviour; and the more useful we shall be made in promoting his cause. | 
