Satan The Devil Series

Satan the Devil (Illustrations did not copy)

ISAIAH 14:12 "How you have fallen from Heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the Earth, who once laid the nations low!"

Satan was originally a righteous angel named Lucifer, meaning "light bringer." In the process, he and other angels willfully disobeyed and rebelled against God and became demons (Revelation 12). Lucifer's name changed to Satan, which means "the adversary."

Lucifer corrupted himself through lust (pride) and vanity. He sought nothing less than knocking God off his throne and taking control of the entire universe (Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14)! He and his demons, however, were perfectly defeated and cast down to the Earth as quick as lightning (Luke 10:18). Satan, soon, will be put to death for his rebellion!

Illustration of the Devil, dating to the early thirteenth century

Satan, also known as the Devil and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the Yetzer Hara, or "evil inclination." In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who rebelled against God, temporary power over the fallen world, and a host of demons. Nevertheless, in the Quran, Shaitan, also known as Iblis, is an entity made of fire that was cast out of Heaven because he refused to bow before the newly created Adam and incites humans to sin by infecting their minds with waswas ("evil suggestions").

A figure known as ha-satan ("the satan") first appears in the Hebrew Bible as a heavenly prosecutor, subordinate to Yahweh (God), who prosecutes the nation of Judah in the heavenly court and tests the loyalty of Yahweh's followers. In the apocryphal Book of Jubilees, Yahweh grants satan (referred to as Mastema) authority over a group of fallen angels, or their offspring, to tempt humans to sin and punish them.

Although the Book of Genesis does not mention him, Christians often identify the serpent in the Garden of Eden as Satan. In the Synoptic Gospels, Satan tempts Jesus in the desert and is identified as the cause of illness and temptation. In the Book of Revelation, Satan appears as a Great Red Dragon, who is defeated by Michael the Archangel and cast down from Heaven. He is later bound for one thousand years but is briefly set free before being ultimately defeated and cast into the Lake of Fire.

In the Middle Ages, Satan played a minimal role in Christian theology and was used as a comic relief figure in mystery plays. During the early modern period, Satan's significance significantly increased as beliefs such as demonic possession and witchcraft became more prevalent. During the Age of Enlightenment, belief in the existence of Satan was harshly criticized by thinkers such as Voltaire. Nonetheless, belief in Satan has persisted, particularly in the Americas.

Although Satan is generally viewed as evil, some groups have very different beliefs. In Theistic Satanism, Satan is considered to be worshiped or revered Deity. In LaVeyan Satanism, Satan is a symbol of virtuous characteristics and liberty. Satan's appearance is never described in the Bible, but since the ninth century, he has often been shown in Christian art with horns, cloven hooves, unusually hairy legs, and a tail, often naked and holding a pitchfork. These are an amalgam of traits derived from various pagan deities, including Pan, Poseidon, and Bes. Satan frequently appears in Christian literature, most notably in Dante Alighieri's Inferno, all variants of the classic Faust story, John Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, and the poems of William Blake. He continues to appear in film, television, and music.

Hebrew Bible

Balaam and the Angel (1836) by Gustav Jäger. The angel in this incident is referred to as "satan."

The Hebrew term sa?an (Hebrew: ??????) is a generic noun meaning "accuser" or "adversary" and is derived from a verb meaning primarily "to obstruct, oppose." The earlier biblical books, e.g., 1 Samuel 29:4, refer to human adversaries, but in the later books, especially Job 1-2 and Zechariah 3, to a supernatural entity. It can refer to any accuser when used without the definite article (simply satan). However, when used with the definite article (ha-satan), it usually refers specifically to the heavenly accuser, satan.

The word with the definite article Ha-Satan (Hebrew: ????????? hasSa?an) occurs 17 times in the Masoretic Text, in two books of the Hebrew Bible: Job ch. 1–2 (14×) and Zechariah 3:1–2 (3×). It is translated in English bibles primarily as 'Satan' (18x in Book of Job, I Books of Chronicles, and Book of Zechariah).

The word without the definite article is used in 10 instances, of which two are translated as diabolos in the Septuagint. It is translated in English Bibles as 'an accuser' (1x) but primarily as 'an adversary' (9x as in Book of Numbers, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Kings).