Satan Exists

Satan Exists

Where and what was the first sin against God committed? Who did it?

When most Christians are asked those questions, they think of the Garden of Eden, eating the forbidden fruit, and naming Adam and Eve. You may have guessed correctly, but—those answers are wrong.

For you, what image does the word Satan conjure up? An evil creature with horns, a tail, and a pitchfork? Caricatures of our culture aside, Satan is the evil prince whom Christians know as the great deceiver and the archnemesis of God and his people. Either from our first foray into the Bible as adults, or back when we were in youth or children's Bible Studies, we learned of Adam and Eve, the serpent, and the forbidden fruit. Which was usually described as an apple. Yes, indeed the first human sin was committed under those circumstances. But, eating the forbidden fruit was not the first sin. The serpent tempted Eve, but we often forget that Satan's fall from grace was the major precursor setting the stage for the fall of humankind.

“Satan” means the adversary. The proper name “Satan” does not make an appearance in Genesis (1400 BC) or the other four Books of the Torah attributed to Moses. In fact, that name Satan, while found 14 times in the Old Testament and 40 in the New Testament, in Bible book order, “Satan” does not appear until the book of 1 Chronicles (450 BC). However, chronologically, Satan is again reported in the same 1400 BC era, in the Book of Job.

In Job, God and Satan converse. Satan is cynical about human goodness and is allowed to test it under God’s authority, within the limits set by God. Satan attacks Job’s character in verses 6-11. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

In biblical terms “devil” is defined as a slanderer and found scores of times in the New Testament. The name of “Lucifer” is found once. Isaiah 14:12, tells of his fall. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” The Jews refer to Satan as “Beelzebub,” an epithet derived from “Baal-Zebub” meaning“lord of the flies.” The Beelzebub reference is found several times in the New Testament.

So, with so many designations for Satan, how do we know for sure he was the serpent in the Garden of Eden? I've only found one link. Revelation 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. But we will delve deeper into that later in this essay.

Who, here, can explain “the thousand years?” According to the visions in the Book of Revelation, when the risen Christ returns from heaven to reign on earth, Satan will be bound with a great chain for a thousand years, then be released, but almost immediately face final defeat and be cast into eternal punishment. This period, known as the Millennium, refers to Christ's 1,000-year reign. However, there are three distinct interpretations of what the thousand years event entails and is debated between three viewpoints: Postmillennialism, Amillennialism, and Premillennialism.

Postmillennialism is a Christian eschatology (end-times theology). Persons of this faction interpret verse 2, of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation as Christ's second coming occurs after the "Millennium." A Golden Age in which Christian ethics prosper.

According to amillennialism, the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:1–3 took place at the first coming of Christ, and his imprisonment in the abyss extends throughout the present age, concurrent with the millennial reign of Jesus. Rather than describing a future event that will occur at the Second Coming, then, Satan’s binding was accomplished by Christ when He conquered the devil through His death and resurrection during His earthly ministry.

In this way, amillennialism asserts that the thousand-year binding of Satan extends from the time of the first coming of Christ to the time of His second coming. Is there any debate on amillennialism from our readers or study members gathered here?