Purpose of Satan
Practically all Christians believe that
Satan is real and he is evil. According to scripture he is a
deceiver, liar and murderer. Why is Satan so wicked?
Since
there is a Satan, did God mess up and now is battling for men’s
souls with Satan? Who is winning? We read that God is love, but we
look around at this world and see evil and hate almost everywhere.
What is going on?
Was it part of God’s plan for there to be a
Satan? How did Satan come into existence?
Theologians will
tell us that originally this being called Satan was a shining
Archangel who went bad. Why would God let this happen? Did God make
a mistake with what has happened is this idea of “Lucifer’s”
rebellion story of fiction? There is much more to the story since
the name Lucifer is not in the original manuscripts of scripture.
The Christian teaching is that before God ever created the first
man, this perfect spirit being whom Christians call Satan or
Lucifer, went bad. He was perfect but he turned bad by rebelling
against God. He turned into an evil being. So did God’s first and
greatest creation up to that time fail? How can a perfect creation
by a perfect Creator malfunction?
First and foremost we need
to acknowledge that God does not make mistakes. All that He does is
for the ultimate benefit of mankind. Most of us, until we
investigated the matter for ourselves, we naturally fell into line
with the thought that Satan was not a sinner at first, but became so
later in his existence.
We need to check out the scriptures
to find out which one of these two opposing views are correct:
Opinion Number One
Satan was originally
created righteous but made himself evil by rebelling against God.
OR
Opinion Number Two
Satan was
intentionally created by God as an evil sinning spirit being.
Concerning Opinion Number One:
According to theologians, Satan created himself. He was
supposedly a perfect archangel and then changed himself into an evil
being. Is this Scripturally true?
Theologians have been
teaching for centuries that Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 give us an
explanation of this transformation.
Isa 14:12 (KJV) How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to
the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 (KJV) For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 (KJV) I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High.
Eze 28:12 (KJV) Son of man, take up a
lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in
beauty.
Eze 28:13 (KJV) Thou hast been in
Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the
sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the
jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the
workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in
the day that thou wast created.
Eze 28:14 (KJV) Thou art the
anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast
upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the
midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:15 (KJV) Thou wast
perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till
iniquity was found in thee.
Eze 28:16 (KJV) By the
multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with
violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as
profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O
covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:17 (KJV) Thine heart
was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom
by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will
lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
These scriptures we are told, is an accurate description of
how perfect Lucifer, a shining light-bringing archangel, became
Satan the Devil. Is this interpretation valid? Is this describing a
spirit being or of a haughty, prideful human king with authority and
power? A ruler who seizes divine honors to him self.
The view
of scholars holding this idea that Lucifer corrupted himself and
fell is due to a poor translation and poor interpretation.
The motive that prompts this is obviously the desire to prove that
he is a blot on God’s creation, which has intruded contrary to God’s
purpose and will and in spite of every precaution. The first step in
this propaganda is to prove that Satan was originally perfect, so
that God is not at all responsible for his subsequent default.
Isaiah 14 and 15 – King of Babylon
Isa 14:4 (KJV) That thou shalt take
up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the
oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
God is speaking of and to and about, “the King of Babylon,”
not Lucifer, not Satan, not an archangel. And God tells us the end
of this rulers reign:
Isa
14:11 (KJV) Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of
thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
Satan never died or was put in a grave. Worms do not eat a
spirit.
Then we come to verse 12 and the mention of Lucifer:
Isa 14:12 (KJV) How art thou
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
This twelfth verse is where theologians believe God stops
speaking of the King of Babylon and begins speaking of the origin of
Satan. They disconnect the thought of the previous verses and
introduce a new theme in verse 12. Is this valid?
There will
be a king of Babylon who will arrogate divine honours to himself and
who will lord it over the kings of the nations, and who will shake
kingdoms. Yet he is a man (Isa. 14:16), and Satan is not a man.
But first lets clarify the misunderstanding concerning the word
Lucifer. Lucifer is NOT found in the original
scriptures. And it is found in only one verse in the entire bible.
Almost all other versions use terms like day-star, oh shining one,
morning star, etc. It is the Hebrew word
הֵילֵל heylel
(Strong’s H1966 – from H11984 in the sense of brightness; the
morning stars). Jerome in 382, was commissioned by Pope Damasus to
write the Latin Version of the bible. He translated the Hebrew word
as Lucifer, a Latin word meaning light bringer. Theologians have
accepted the word and used it in many translations, including the
ever popular King James Version.
However, an examination of
the Hebrew text will convince any one that the evidence for the
title “Lucifer” is incorrect. There is absolutely no reason or rule
of grammar for turning this word into a personal name! This name is
a human invention, and should have no place in the Scriptures. It
could possibly mean “a shining one,” but not a personal name such as
“Lucifer.” Doubtless the translators followed the Vulgate as they
did in most of their translating.
There is a likelihood that
the Hebrew word heylel has a meaning connected to Strong’s H3213,
meaning howl or yell. Weird it seems. There seems to be no Hebrew or
Aramaic text in which there is a word heylel with which to make an
association. What we find in all such associations is the word
“hehlehl,’ eill, which is a form of the Hebrew stem “yah-lahl,” ill.
It means howl or yell.
If you do a search on the web about
the Hebrew word you will find that Lucifer and the meaning of the
word are not referring to Satan or any spirit being. There are many
articles on this and here are some examples:
https://www.godfire.net/Lucifer.html
http://web.ccbce.com/multimedia/BLB/faq/nbi/79.html
From this it is not difficult to recognise that much of the
references to the one being spoken about by God in Isa 14 and Ezek
28 is an arrogant, proud and powerful human ruler being referenced
to by figurative language. Here are a couple of examples:
First, who fell from heaven? Does it have to be a spirit being to be
thrust out of heaven and does this have to refer to the heaven where
God dwells? Not necessarily. Here is proof that Jesus Christ gives
concerning this expression.
Luke 10:15 (KJV) And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven,
shalt be thrust down to hell (Hades – unseen).
So here we have a whole city being thrown down from heaven
to Hades, their grave. And so it is with the King of Babylon whose
“pomp is brought down to the grave” (Isa. 14:11). These two
Scriptures are parallel thoughts.
The reference is to Babylon
and none other. It was Babylon which was exalted to heaven. It was
he who was like Venus the brightest star (planet) in the morning
sky. Yet just as Capernaum, God says she is brought down to the
earth, the one who was a “crusher of nations.”
It is the king
of Babylon who elevated himself to heaven in his own mind, and it is
the same king of Babylon who has fallen from on high. It is the same
king of Babylon who is “hacked down to the earth,” and it is the
same king of Babylon who was the “defeater of all nations,” and not
a perfect Satan.
What is actually spoken of in these two
chapters of Isaiah 13 & 14 is the history of world religion and
government from the creation of man, through the destruction of man,
and the establishment of God’s spiritual Mt. Zion filling the
universe. All the religions and governments of the world in the
history of the world are personified in these two chapters.
Ezekiel 28 – Prince of Tyre
The favorite
passage for proving the original perfection and subsequent fall of
Satan is found in the twenty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel. The “king of
Tyrus”, we are told, is another name for Satan. No, he is a man, not
a spirit being. His presence in Eden is a figure of speech when you
look at Eden also being a lovely garden. . So this does not
establish the identity of Satan, the serpent, with the king of Tyre.
The prince of Tyre is emphatically described as a man, a human
being (Eze. 28:2, 9). The king of Tyre was known among the people
and his destruction was a matter of public astonishment. This cannot
apply to Satan ? Those who have seen the ruins of Tyre and have some
idea of its ancient magnificence will find nothing in this passage
too wonderful to be accounted for. There is not the slightest hint
that it concerns any one but the ruler of Tyre.
There is so
much more to investigate to determine whether these scriptures in
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel28 really refer to the fall of Satan or to
appalling human rulers which God describes to us in symbolic and
figurative language. You the reader will decide on which is true.
When you read the next section you may see the inappropriateness of
this fall of Satan belief.
Concerning Opinion Number
Two:
Everything God does is ultimately for a good
result.
Gen 1:31 (KJV) And God
saw every thing that he had , and, behold, it was very good.
This scripture tells us that everything that God made was
very good. That would include Satan, the Adversary. God created
Satan for a divine purpose. Yes God created him prefect – perfect
for the task he was created for.
Ah, the remarkable wisdom of
God.
Satan does play a role in the salvation of the human
race. Satan is just one more “evil” that God uses in bringing many
sons into glory. He is referred to as a serpent, a slanderer, along
with other monikers. Who made evil happen? Was it Satan or God?
Whence Evil – that is the topic of the next article.
God
created Satan to be an evil, sinning being
Right from the
beginning we find that God said He made Satan. Yes God made Satan to
be a sinning, evil being.
Gen
3:1 (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the
field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea,
hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Here is more proof.
Job 26:13 (KJV) By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his
hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
Yes God adorned and garnished the heavens by His Spirit,
because His creation is a thing of great beauty, and majesty. But
God formed the crooked serpent by His hand, perhaps at arms length.
The hand holds its work at a distance, and suggests power and skill,
rather than communion Telling us that it was something necessary in
His plan for the salvation of man, even though He knew it would
create hard ship and discouragement for mankind for a while.. One of
the names God gives Satan is “the crooked serpent.” This word
crooked comes from a Hebrew word that is not translated “crooked”
anywhere else in the Bible. The word in Hebrew is bariach, and it
means “a fugitive,” Strong’s #1281. Isn’t that just appropriate to
call him a fugitive? And “fugitive” is from the Hebrew word nuwa,
Strong’s #5128, among its several meanings are: “to [roam] up and
down,” and “to and fro,” and to “sift.” God names things according
to what they are and what they do. The “fugitive serpent” of Job is
the same as the “fugitive serpent” of Isaiah. The “fugitive” serpent
of Job (A. V. “crooked”)
Here is another proof that God
created Satan for his role in God’s master plan.
Isa 54:16 (KJV) Behold, I have
created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that
bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the
waster to destroy.
Isa 54:16 (CLV) Behold! I, I created
the artificer who blows into the fire of coal, and brings forth an
implement for his occupation. And I, I created the ruiner to harm.”
God created the waster, not the archangel who later changed
himself into Satan. It is God from the beginning who created the
waster and He created him to destroy. So whose role is it to tear
down man? It is Satan who was created from his very beginning to be
the waster and one who ravages men’s minds to depravity and
increasing carnal mindedness. Satan started with Adam and Eve and he
isn’t finished yet.
Hebrew word shachath H7843
Strong’s #7843
שָׁחַת shachath
{shaw-khath’}
a primitive root; TWOT – 2370; v
1) to
destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay 1a) (Niphal) to be marred, be
spoiled, be corrupted, be corrupt, be injured, be ruined, be rotted
1b) (Piel) 1b1) to spoil, ruin 1b2) to pervert, corrupt, deal
corruptly (morally) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to spoil, ruin, destroy 1c2)
to pervert, corrupt (morally) 1c3) destroyer (participle) 1d)
(Hophal) spoiled, ruined (participle)
Satan is completely
under God’s control
Some of the most revealing scriptures
that give us insight into how God is in total control of everything
Satan is allowed to do is found the beginning of the book of Job.
Satan never operates beyond his God-given parameters.
God
gave Satan charge over Job, his body, and all his possessions, to
try him severely:
Job 2:6
(KJV) And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but
save his life.
It
was God’s idea to severely try Job, not Satan’s. But Satan took
strict orders from God as to just how he could try Job. Satan got
permission from God at each and every step of this severe trying of
Job.
Today God works the same way since He tells us He does
not change (Mal. 3:6). Satan is constantly finding fault with
Christians.
Therefore, Satan was not only necessary, but he
was, in fact, perfect for the job that God created him to fulfill.
Job
41:1 (KJV) Canst thou
draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which
thou lettest down?
Psa
74:14 (KJV) Thou brakest
the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the
people inhabiting the wilderness.
Psa
104:26 (KJV) There go the
ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
Isa
27:1 (KJV) In that day
the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish
leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent;
and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Leviathan and Satan are one and the same.
The power of Satan
God has given Satan a great deal
of power and influence but Satan can only exercise that power within
the limits God has set as we just read above about Job.
We
are in a wrestling match against evil forces.
Eph.
6:12 (KJV) For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
That evil spirit being, Satan is transformed in this age.
2Cor.
11:14 (KJV) And no
marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Satan is not an angel of light, and never has been. Satan
appears as an angel of light to the world. It is an illusion and a
deception. Satan has his followers. They are false preachers, liars,
deceivers and they claim to be preaching and teaching God’s truth.
2
Cor.
11:13 (KJV) For such are false apostles, deceitful orkers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Satan is the father of lies and a murderer.
John_8:44 (KJV) Ye are of your father
the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
What do you believe?
Whether you hold to opinion one
or opinion two described above, as a bible believer you can see that
Satan is our enemy. Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking
whom he might devour.
1
Pet.
5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour
But be of good cheer.
Eph.
6:16 (KJV) Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked (wicked one – CLV).
James
4:7 (KJV) Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil (Adversary – CLV), and
he will flee from you.
Satan is functioning perfectly as God’s adversary. Satan is
essential to the purpose and salvation of the whole human race. That
is why God created him in the first place.
Yet most
professing Christians refuse to understand these simple truths of
Scripture. They refuse to believe that all is of God.
Col_1:16 (KJV) For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for
him:
They think
that all evil is of Satan. They refuse to believe that even Satan is
God’s creation. Satan deceives the whole world and that is according
to God’s plan for this age (Rev. 12:9). God created Satan, God
controls Satan, and God calls all the shots with Satan.
A related article will deal with the topic
of evil.
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