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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"(a pagan doctrine - link below to 'devil' & 'angels')

  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.,

  transliterated it into the New Testament. In this way they have

  perpetuated the pagan myth of a supernatural monster.

 

  It is translated correctly as "adversary" in Numbers 22v22 & 1st Samuel

  29v4 & 1st Kings 5v4; 11v14,23,25 -

  and also as "adversaries" in 2nd Samuel 19v22.

  It is easy to see why - teaching heresy there would be impossible.

                               (see similar inconsistency with 'devil')

 

  It is possible to be a good  'satan' (adversary)  if the one being

          opposed is committing evil..let us look at one of the

                                   quotations above -

 

  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 special capital 's' in 'satan' in the original texts - 

  it was only inserted by biased translators believing in a satanic monster.    

                    See a similar doctrinal bias concerning 'spirit'.

 

  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 speaks of these heretics when he writes in 2nd Corinthians

  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 5v1,2 -  "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". 

  Such apostate assemblies are sown by "the devil"(= the flesh - link to 'devil')

  and are"the tares"of the parable of Matthew 13v24-30;36-43-link to 'tares'.

 

  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   ABOMINATIONS

  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  the following links  to  'God', 'spirit', 'mortal', 'devil', 'baptism'.

  The process of apostacy is traced out in 'departure'.Cp 'Bible'-page2.

        And so we see that "the satan" is a personification of all those

       who falsely claim to represent the Truth - link to 'proverbs' - p.2

                ("the devil" is a personification of sin as embodied in

                                  "sinful flesh" - link to 'devil')

 

  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 Gen.6v1,2;1st John 3v1,2.. and also, 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". The adversary

  confessed that only God had this power - ch.1v9-11; 2v4,5.  This is consistent

  with  Isaiah  45v5-7,    where  God  addresses the  Persian  king    Cyrus  the

  Great (v1-4).  The  Persian  idea  of an opposing force which brought evil later 

  became 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".

  In the passages where'satan'appears-Job 1v6,7,8,9,12;2v1,2,3,4,6,7, in the   

  Hebrew there is the definite article,so that literally it should be 'the satan'.
  As already indicated, this refers to an adversary who falsely claims to rep- 

  resent the Truth - "the satan came also among them ("the sons of God")".

 

  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,

  but as in the case of Job's suffering, GOD controlled events.    This  "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.

  Concerning Divine foreknowledge and freewill link to:

                               'Sin and Death and Divine Selection'.

 

  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 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'- page 2.

  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'.

 

  1st Chronicles 21v1-"And satan stood up against Israel, and provoked

  David to number Israel".This is dealt with extensively in page 2-link below.

 

  There are several passages which, although the word 'satan' does not appear,

  are mis-used as imagined support for the orthodox heresy. These include:

 

  Isaiah 14v12-"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the

  morning!".Compare v4-"thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of

  Babylon".  'Lucifer' simply means 'day star' (RV) and the king was merely 

  part of the political heavens (powers) of his day - the terms "heavens" and

  "earth" in Biblical symbology simply mean  the rulers  and  the people they

  rule - cp ch.1v2,4,10,21,23 and Deuteronomy 32v1; 31v30 -

  "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of

  my mouth...And Moses spake in the ears of  all the congregation of Israel

  the words of this song, until they were ended".

 

  These "heavens" contain the "sun" (political powers) and "moon" (eccles-

  iastical powers reflecting the "sun") and "stars" (individual potentates of the

  "heavens"). The "king of Babylon" as one of those "stars" would disappear

  when the "heavens" of which he was a part was removed -

  cp Matthew 24v49; Revelation 6v12-17.

 

  The above explanation is endorsed by Isaiah 14v7-12...this tells us where

  "Lucifer" had sinned...it was upon the earth,  which would be delivered from

  Babylonian bondage - "the whole earth is at rest...he who smote the people in

  wrath with a continual stroke,  he that ruled the nations in anger,is persecuted,

  and none hindereth" -v7,6. "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave" - v11.

  The great sin of Babylon was human pride. Nebuchadnezzar tried to revive &

  even to surpass the grandeur of Babel - cp Genesis 11v1-9 -

  "... let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven" -

  cp Isaiah 14v12- "How art thou fallen from heaven...how art thou cut down

  to the ground, which didst weaken the nations".

 

  "Lucifer" is identified as a "man" in v16,17 - "Is this the man that made the

  earth to tremble,that did shake kingdoms,that made the world as a wilderness,

  and destroyed the cities thereof…?" What words could be plainer?

  The boast of  Nebuchadnezzar has been found in an inscription as recorded in

  the section 'Scripture endorsed by archaeology' - 'Bible' - page 3. Compare

  his boastful words in Daniel 4v30, for which he was punished - v31-33.

 

  Ezekiel 28v1-19-"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God..thou art the

  anointed cherub that covereth..thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day

  that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee".Compare v2-"say

  unto the prince of Tyrus..take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus". It is

  instructive to read these verses in the original, which brings out the meaning

  of the text. "Eden" was a vast area in what is today called the Middle-East,  &

  there was "a garden eastward in Eden"(Genesis 2v8).Tyre was situated in the

  westward part of  "Eden", a fortified city famous for its maritime trade.

  But God sent "many nations" against her, and it is now only "a place for the

  spreading of nets in the midst of the sea..a spoil to the nations" - ch. 26v3,5.

 

  Its king to whom the above words were addressed was "a man" v2 - "yet thou

  art a man, and not God".   However, like Nebuchadnezzar (above) his "heart"

  was "lifted up" - hence the words of judgment against him and his city.  In v14

  & v16  we read in the RSV - "with an anointed guardian cherub I placed you..

  the guardian cherub drove you out".The angels of God do His will-'God' p.2-

  and this is just one example.   Finally, the king of Tyre was not "perfect..from

  the day (he) was created" but as the RSV translates "blameless".   Tyre began

  by co-operating with David and Solomon in the provision for and the building

  of the Temple.But later Tyre sold many Israelites into slavery,& "remembered

  not the brotherly covenant".     In Jezebel's day,Tyre corrupted Israel with Baal

  worship.     See 1st Chronicles 22v4; 1st Kings 5 & 16v31*; Joel 3v4-8*;

  Amos 1v9,10 .*Tyre/Zidon (Sidon) were linked together-cp Matt. 11v21,22.

 

  It is impossible for immortal "angels" to sin - link to 'angels'.

 

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