{"id":2290,"date":"2012-09-10T00:05:02","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T07:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/?p=2290"},"modified":"2012-09-09T23:04:48","modified_gmt":"2012-09-10T06:04:48","slug":"everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-devil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/2012\/09\/10\/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-devil\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You Wanted to Know About the Devil"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where Did the Devil Come From?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tSatan is first mentioned by \u201cname\u201d in Job 1:6-7:<\/p>\n

One day the angels came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came with them. Yahweh said to Satan, \u201cWhere have you come from?\u201d
\n\tSatan answered Yahweh, \u201cFrom roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tHere God asks where it is that Satan comes from; however, it is not a question of ultimate origins, but of \u201cwhat have you been doing lately?\u201d From the story of Job, we learn that Satan is responsible for bringing misery and suffering to people. In 1 Chronicles 21:1 we see him active in tempting a person to sin. The only other place that Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament is Zechariah 3:1-2, where he is seen accusing the saints; and of course that is exactly what his name \u201cSatan\u201d means: \u201cthe accuser,” or more colloquially, “the tattler.” In fact, in the Old Testament \u201cSatan\u201d is always preceded by a definite article in Hebrew, from which we gather \u201cSatan\u201d is more a designation of his character than an actual personal name. His actual first appearance in the Bible is generally assumed to be at the very beginning, in the form of a serpent, when he convinces Eve to doubt God\u2019s goodness. If this serpent is indeed Satan (there is no explicit biblical indication that it is), then Satan is responsible for creating all the misery that exists in our world today. <\/p>\n

How Did the Devil Turn Bad?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tSince God is not the author of evil, then Satan, as a created being, could not have begun wicked. What happened to him?<\/p>\n

\tSome commentators have taken Isaiah 14:12-15 as a reference to Satan\u2019s fall. The King James translation has contributed to this interpretation by translating 14:12 as follows:<\/p>\n

How art thou fallen from heaven,
\nO Lucifer, son of the morning!
\nHow art thou cut down to the ground,
\nwho didst weaken the nations!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tThe word \u201cLucifer\u201d for some reason has been accepted as a name for \u201cSatan\u201d, although this is the only occurrence of the word in the entire Bible; it was taken over from the Latin Vulgate, and means simply \u201cmorning star\u201d \u2014 which is the proper translation of the underlying Hebrew word. There are several problems with an interpretation of this passage as a reference to Satan: \t<\/p>\n

First, the person referred to in 14:12-15 is explicitly said to be the king of Babylon (14:3). <\/p>\n

Second, he is called a man (14:16-17). <\/p>\n

Third, he is said to be dead (14:9, 11, 19).<\/p>\n

Fourthly, he is said to have destroyed his land and his people (14:20). <\/p>\n

Finally, no other reference to this passage in the Old or New Testament indicates that Isaiah 14:12-15 should be interpreted as a reference to anyone other than the king of Babylon, a man filled with great pride (cf. Daniel 4:28-32; 5:18-30). Instead, all the evidence points to it being a description of a human ruler. To interpret it any other way necessitates taking the passage out of context.<\/p>\n

\tThe other passage which is mentioned by some theologians in relation to how Satan became evil is Ezekiel 28:12-15. Again, the problems faced by those who wish to interpret this as a reference to Satan are insurmountable. 28:12 itself identifies the individual in view: the king of Tyre. If one looks back to earlier portions of the same chapter, one finds that this king was guilty of the most incredible pride, a pride not especially unusual in kings of this time and region. Look at 28:1-10:<\/p>\n

The word of Yahweh came to me:
\n\u201cSon of man, say to the ruler of Tyre,
\n\u2018This is what the Master Yahweh says:
\n\u201c\u2019In the pride of your heart
\nyou say, \u201cI am a god;
\nI sit on the throne of a god
\nin the heart of the seas.\u201d
\nBut you are a man and not a god,
\nthough you think you are as wise as a god.
\nAre you wiser than Daniel?
\nIs no secret hidden from you?
\nBy your wisdom and understanding
\nyou have gained wealth for yourself
\nand amassed gold and silver
\nin your treasuries.
\nBy your great skill in trading \t
\nyou have increased your wealth,
\nand because of your wealth
\nyour heart has grown proud.
\n\u201c\u2019Therefore this is what Master Yahweh says:
\n\u201cBecause you think you are wise,
\nas wise as a god,
\nI am going to bring foreigners against you,
\nthe most ruthless of nations;
\nthey will draw their swords against your beauty
\nand wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
\nThey will bring you down to the pit,
\nand you will die a violent death
\nin the heart of the seas.
\nWill you then say, \u201cI am a god,\u201d
\nin the presence of those who kill you?
\nYou will be but a man, not a god,
\nin the hands of those who slay you.
\nYou will die the death of the uncircumcised
\nat the hands of foreigners.
\nI have spoken, declares the Master Yahweh.\u2019\u201d\u2019\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tThese words about the king of Tyre could be compared to those of Suppiluliumas, a Hittite king. At the beginning of one of his decrees he wrote:<\/p>\n

These are the words of the Sun, Suppiluliumas, thegreat king, the king of the Hittites, the valiant, the favorite of the Storm-god….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tJust like the king of Tyre, it was common for Near Eastern kings to picture themselves as gods incarnate. For instance, the Pharaoh was always, even as late as the time of Alexander the Great, pictured as the incarnation of the Sun god Re. Alexander, because it made his Near Eastern subjects happy (and padded his ego), declared himself to be a god. <\/p>\n

\tIn any case, the author of the lament that is then raised for the king of Tyre in 28:12-16 does not have the fall of Satan in mind at all. This has not prevented some from taking the words in verses 12-16 as being absolute proof that this has to be Satan, forgetting the very context of these words. Let\u2019s look at the objections raised against a purely human setting for this passage.<\/p>\n

\tIn verse twelve we are told that this king was \u201cthe model of perfection\u201d; those who wish to see Satan in this passage argue that this is an indication of Satan\u2019s sinlessness before he rebelled against God, and since all people are sinners, this statement can hardly be applied to a human king. But in answer to this, since when does the word \u201cperfect\u201d when applied to people indicate sinlessness? Are not many Old and New Testament persons called perfect? No special significance can be found in the current use of the term.<\/p>\n

\tVerse 13: \u201cYou were in Eden, the garden of God…\u201d What does this mean? Look back one chapter to Ezekiel 27, where the trading empire of Tyre is described. In 27:23, Eden is mentioned as one of the places Tyre traded with. Notice that all the precious objects with which the person of Ezekiel 28:13 is decked are the items Tyre traded for in 27:1-24. Please note also Ezekiel 31:9 and 16-18, where, in a message to the king of Egypt, Lebanon (where Tyre was located) was called Eden: \t<\/p>\n

\tI made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the grave with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the trees that were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below [vs. 16].<\/p>\n

\tEden, because it was the perfect place from which humans had fallen, was taken into Israelite thought as the picture of the ideal place; it became a figure for God\u2019s favor. Look at how it is used in Ezekiel 36:33-36, which speaks of a restored Israel: <\/p>\n

\tThis is what the Master Yahweh says: \u201cOn the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, \u2018This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.\u2019 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I Yahweh have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I Yahweh have spoken, and I will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn verse 15 Ezekiel talks about the king\u2019s ways being blameless since \u201cthe day he was created.\u201d Obviously, say those who see Satan here, this refers to the creation of Satan. But in Ezekiel 21:30 the same word \u201ccreated\u201d is used of the Amorites \u2014 human beings, not the devil. Isaiah uses it in Isaiah 43:1 and 7 in speaking of the origin of Israel and in Psalm 102:18 it is clearly referring simply to birth. Though the word is used to describe the creation of the universe (Gen. 1:1), we must be careful to recognize the full range of its meanings. \t<\/p>\n

\tSo what about the \u201cguardian cherub\u201d of verses 14 and 16? Explain that! Okay. Please look at 1 Kings 6:23-30: \t<\/p>\n

\tIn the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high [approximately 15 feet]. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits \u2014 ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. The height of each cherub was ten cubits. He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. He overlaid the cherubim with gold.<\/p>\n

\tAlso notice Genesis 3:24, the only place that mentions cherubim in association with the Garden of Eden:<\/p>\n

\tAfter he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.<\/p>\n

\tGenesis 3:24 seems to strike the final blow against an identification of the personage of Ezekiel 28 with Satan, because the guardian cherubs were those who came after Satan had done his foul deed (assuming the serpent in Genesis 3 is to be equated with Satan). The guardian cherub cannot be identified with the devil. Notice too, the two characteristics of the cherub: one, they guarded the way to the tree of life, or two, were decorations at the entrance to the Most Holy Place in the temple, where the high priest made atonement for the sins of the people. Likewise, the king of Tyre was guardian for the livelihood and wealth of count-less nations, and he bore responsibility for his own people\u2019s welfare. Notice the reaction to the downfall of the king of Tyre:<\/p>\n

The ships of Tarshish serve\t
\nas carriers for your wares.
\nYou are filled with heavy cargo\t
\nin the heart of the sea.
\nYour oarsmen take you
\nout to the high seas.
\nBut the east wind will break you to pieces
\nin the heart of the sea.
\nYour wealth, merchandise and wares,
\nyour mariners, seamen and shipwrights,
\nyour merchants and all your soldiers,
\nand everyone else on board
\nwill sink into the heart of the sea
\non the day of your shipwreck.
\nThe shorelands will quake
\nwhen your seamen cry out.
\nAll who handle the oars\t
\nwill abandon their ships;
\nthe mariners and all the seamen
\nwill stand on the shore.
\nThey will raise their voice
\nand cry bitterly over you;
\nthey will sprinkle dust on their heads
\nand roll in ashes.
\nThey will shave their heads because of you
\nand will put on sackcloth.
\nThey will weep over you with anguish of soul
\nand with bitter mourning.
\nAs they wail and mourn over you,
\nthey will take up a lament concerning you:
\n\u201cWho was ever silenced like Tyre,
\nsurrounded by the sea?\u201d
\nWhen your merchandise went out on the seas,
\nyou satisfied many nations;
\nwith your great wealth and your wares
\nyou enriched the kings of the earth.
\nNow you are shattered by the sea
\nin the depths of the waters;
\nyour wares and all your company
\nhave gone down with you.
\nAll who live in the coastlands
\nare appalled at you;
\ntheir kings shudder with horror
\nand their faces are distorted with fear.
\nThe merchants among the nations hiss at you;
\nyou have come to a horrible end
\nand will be no more.
\n(Ezekiel 27:25-36)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\tIn the final analysis, it must be concluded that the Bible simply does not reveal where Satan originated. The odd interpretations of a passage in Isaiah and another in Ezekiel are the result of the human desire to know and understand: we would certainly like<\/em> to know where Satan came from. For whatever reason, God never thought it worthwhile to actually let us know. It is enough that we are told he exists, and that he must be resisted (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9). Apparently, that’s all that’s really important as far as God is concerned. <\/p>\n

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Where Did the Devil Come From? Satan is first mentioned by \u201cname\u201d in Job 1:6-7: One day the angels came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came with them. Yahweh said to Satan, \u201cWhere have you come from?\u201d … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[18,17,16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2290"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2292,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}