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Satan in the Bible is an adversary What is meant is determined by the context But it never means "a fallen angel",as claimed by "ministers" of "the church". This is a pagan doctrine. See link to 'devil' below The original Hebrew word 'satan' was simply adopted into the Greek and the English; the translators thinking it represented the being of their imagination, "the devil", "lucifer" etc It is possible to be a good 'satan' (adversary) if the one being opposed is committing evil..let us look at an example Numbers 22v22- "And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary (Heb.'to be a satan') against him". Because Balaam's actions were "perverse before" God, the angel "went out to withstand (Heb.'to be a satan unto') thee",v32. On most occasions, however, the "adversary" is shown to be someone opp- osing the will of God. This does not, however, back up the popular view! We shall now consider some passages where 'satan' opposes God - note that there is no capital 's' in 'satan' in the original texts- Matthew 16v23-"But he (Jesus) turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, satan". Jesus had said that He would "be killed", v21. Peter, no doubt because of his love for his Lord, "began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee", v22. But in doing this, Peter became an adversary to the will of God. Jesus continued in verse 23, defining Peter's sin- "thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men". Peter's own feel- ings had betrayed him. To insert "a fallen angel" here would be madness! Matthew 4v10, Mark 1v13,Luke 4v8-"Get thee hence, satan...And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of satan...Get thee be- hind me, satan". We suggested, when considering the aspect of 'devil'(= 'false accuser'), that this false accuser "appears to have been the Jewish leaders" (link to 'devil' below). They were false accusers, & they were also collectively "the satan" (Mark1v13,original). Jewish opposition was a vir- ulant 'satan' or adversary, which re-surfaced time and again when the Gos- pel was preached, especially as it was, later to the Gentiles (the other na- tions). We see this in 2nd Corinthians 2v11,11v14. This perennial ad- versary was "transformed into an angel of light" by the means of Acts 15v1- "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved". Paul corroborates this understanding when he writes in 2nd Corinth- ians 11v22,23- "Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more". He emphatically rejected their heresy, telling the believers in Galatians 3v1,2- "Stand fast therefore in the liberty where- with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing". Later, when John was given the Apocalypse, the satan had become established, Revelation 2v9;3v9 as "the synagogue of the sa- tan", "which say they are Jews (i.e. spiritually), and are not, but do lie". (In Romans 2v28,29 Paul wrote- "he is a Jew (i.e.spiritually) which is one inwardly..whose praise is not of men, but of God"). Paul prophesied of the time ( then to come, but now occurring) when a system of iniquity would be set up claiming to represent the Truth, which would oppose Christ, & which would be destroyed at His return. This false religion would be "after the working of the satan"-see 2nd Thessalonians 2. (It is a fascinating study to follow, in both the Old and New Testaments, the passages which include the definite article before 'satan' - thus identifying that particular adversary with one or more person(s) falsely claiming to represent the Truth– see fur- ther below re 'the satan' who opposed Job).This 'satan' against the Truth became more organized & greater in influence, & is now become the evil entity referred to in Revelation 17v5- "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINA- TIONS OF THE EARTH". The members of this shocking family of false religions are revealed by their common adherence to false tea- chings such as "the trinity", "immortal souls", "a fallen-angel devil", etc. etc. The journey to its "own base" in Rome is revealed in Zech.5. See under 'Index' links to 'God', 'spirit', 'mortal', 'devil', 'baptism'. The process of apostacy is traced out in 'departure'.Cp 'Bible'-page 2. Job 1v6,7; 2v1-7-"the sons of God came..before the LORD, and satan came also among them". Note firstly that the term "sons of God" is used of mortal believers– cp 1st John 3v1,2.. and secondly that to come "before the LORD" means simply to come "before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days"- Deuteronomy 19v17. Cp Job1v5– this was the con- stant work of Job, "perfect and upright", ch.1v1,8. The setting therefore was UPON THE EARTH. And although God says– ch.1v12- "all that he hath is in thy power" and ch.2v6-"he is in thy hand", he also states -ch.2v3- "thou movest ME against him". Job himself recognized in ch.19v21- "the HAND OF GOD HATH TOUCHED ME". In ch.42v11 he was "comforted over all the evil THAT THE LORD HAD BROUGHT UPON HIM". This is consis- tent with Isaiah 45v5-7, where God addresses the Persian king Cyrus the Great (v1-4). The Persian idea of an evil force which brought evil later be- came the 'Pagan-Christian fallen angel devil'- link to 'departure'. But God is omnipotent over His creation. How could there be a force of evil against Him? And here,to one who believed in such a being,He DENIES ITS EXISTENCE when He states- "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God be- side me..I make peace,AND CREATE EVIL: I the LORD do all these things". God allows evil for the ultimate benefit of His children– cp Hebrews 12v1-11.In the case of Jesus, Peter testified- Acts 2v23- "Him..ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain"- but also that it was 'BY THE DETER- MINATE COUNSEL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD".Evil men did it, as in the case of Job's suffering, BUT GOD ALLOWED IT. "The satan" had no power independently of God. This would not have been the case if the pa- gan idea of a supernatural being was true. The facts are easily understandable. So who was "the satan" in the book of Job? The use of the definite article in the original throughout the book confirms that whoever is meant, it is simply an early case of one falsely claiming to represent the Truth as a "son of God"- cp notes above re Matthew 4v10 etc.We do know he was a much-travelled per- son, ch.1v7, and obviously jealous of Job's justly privileged position. There was "a devil" even amongst the inner circle of Jesus, cp John 6v70. Is it any wonder then that Job had to contend with one such? In fact, this sad situation has recurred many times through the ages since. The jealousy which he revealed is fully explained by Jesus – Matthew 15v18-20- such sins "proceed……. OUT OF THE HEART". There is no need for any other influence! Zechariah 3v1,2– this is dealt with under Jude 9 in 'devil'- link below. The definite article appears also in Zech. 3v1,2– see above notes. 2nd Corinthians 12v7,8-"a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I be- sought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me". It was evidently a physical affliction . Paul wrote of "infirmity of the flesh". His enemies claimed "his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible"- Galatians 4v13, 2nd Corinthians 10v10. Sicknesses are said to "depart", cp Luke 8v38. This indeed was Paul's prayer (see above). But the Lord refus- ed his request, saying– "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness". Paul accepted this decision, writing that he (would) "rather glory in (his) infirmities"- v9. Indeed, all sufferings of this present time may well be evidence of God's love towards us– Hebrews 12v6; Revelation 3v19. For further discussion concerning sicknesses, link to 'spirit'- page 2, or go via 'Index'. |