IS SATAN REAL
( courtesy www.allaboutgod.com )
To find the origin of Lucifer, we turn to
the Old Testament. In the Hebrew, the name Lucifer is translated from the Hebrew
word "helel," which means brightness. This designation, referring to Lucifer, is
the rendering of the "morning star" or "star of the morning" or "bright star"
which is presented in Isaiah. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son
of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You
said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the
stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I
will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High’"
(Isaiah 14:12-14, NIV).
The context of this passage is a referral to the king of Babylon as presented in
his pride, splendor and fall. However, it is to the power behind the evil
Babylonian king that this is actually addressed. No mortal king would claim that
his throne was above that of God or that he was like the Most High. The power
behind the evil Babylonian king is Lucifer, Son of the Morning.
Story of Lucifer – His History
Lucifer is just another name for Satan, who as head
of the evil world-system is the real, though invisible, power behind the
successive rulers of Tyre, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and all of those evil
rulers that we have seen come and go in the history of the world. This passage
goes beyond human history and marks the beginning of sin in the universe and the
very fall of Satan in the pristine, sinless spheres before the creation of man.
We also see this same motif in Ezekial: "Moreover the word of the LORD came to
me: Mortal, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says
the Lord GOD: You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your
covering, carnelian, chrysolite, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and worked in gold were your settings and your
engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. With an
anointed cherub as guardian I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the
day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you. In the abundance of
your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a
profane thing from the mountain of God, and the guardian cherub drove you out
from among the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you
corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I
exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your
iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries.
So I brought out fire from within you; it consumed you, and I turned you to
ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the
peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no
more forever" (Ezekiel 28:11-19, NIV).
This passage seems to be addressed to the "king of Tyre." In reality, it goes
beyond the king to the one who is behind the evil king of Tyre. This passage
also has near and far prophecy about Lucifer/Satan because although his final
end is already sure, it has not happened yet and it occurs after the final
judgment (Revelation 20:7-10). In both the Isaiah passage and the Ezekiel
passage, the representation is not of Lucifer/Satan as confined to his own
person but his working in and the consummating of his plans through earthly
kings and rulers who take to themselves divine honors and who, whether they
actually know this or not, rule in the spirit and under the aims of Satan. "For
our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12,
NIV). Satan is the principality behind the powers of this corrupt world system.
Notice the statement that is given in the passage in Ezekiel, "the anointed
cherub." These statements could never apply to a human king but, they do apply
to Lucifer/Satan who is behind the human king. This angel is the highest
creature the LORD ever created. The LORD says of him, "You were the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty."
Satan was the wisest creature God ever created. No
other angel, no other being was created with the intelligence that God gave to
this creature. God says that this creation is "perfect in beauty." Apart from
the Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, this creature is today the
highest being.
In verse Ezekiel 28:14 it says, "You were the anointed Cherub." This tells us we
are not talking about a human king. The word cherub is singular for cherubim.
The cherubim are symbolic of God's Holy presence and His unapproachable majesty.
These cherubim occupy a unique position. The "anointed cherub who covers" is the
picture given to us in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had been sent out
and God had placed cherubim to guard the way of the tree of life. Also, when
Moses made the mercy seat and placed it into the tabernacle's Holy of Holies,
God's glory came and dwelt between the cherubim. They "covered" the mercy seat
with their wings. So we now see that Satan was a cherub and his position was to
guard the very throne of God. His position was that of protecting the holiness
of God. Satan had the highest of all positions, a position which he despised and
lost. We have here in Ezekiel a picture of the highest of God's creatures,
perfect in wisdom, beautiful beyond description, a musician and on top of all
that, he was given this high, exalted position. But, this creation, with all of
these wonderful attributes also had a free will. One day, God says to this
marvelous creature, "Iniquity was found in you."
Story of Lucifer – His Status
What kind of iniquity was found of him? In the book of Ezekiel, God has let us
stand with Him at the very beginning, to see the origin and the creation of
Satan. But, why does God say this? What is this iniquity? We must look back to
Isaiah 14:12, which tells us of Lucifer/Satan's choice. "I will ascend to
heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount
of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I
will make myself like the Most High." Did you notice in this passage all of the
"I wills. " He said he would exalt his throne above the stars of God. The word
"stars" here does not refer to what we see in the night sky. It refers to the
angels of God. In other words, "I will take over
heaven, I will be God." That is Lucifer/Satan's sin and that is the iniquity
that was found in him. He does not want to be God's servant. He does not want to
do what he was created to do. He wants to be served and there are millions who
have chosen to do just that; serve him. They have listened to his lies and
chosen to follow him. Eve believed the lie that she would be like God. The
reason Lucifer/Satan tempted her with that was because it is the very thing that
he wants -- to be God.
IS SATAN REAL (take 2)
By Ray Comfort
Most people don't think about the subject of Satanism unless
there is a grizzly murder, and satanic symbols are found at the crime scene.
Many who believe in the devil, usually think of him as being the darkest of
figures. What they don't realize is that the Bible tells us that he can also
manifest himself as an "angel of light." In reference to false converts within
the Church, the Bible says:
For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen,
masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ... And it is no wonder,
for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if
his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness... 2 Corinthians
11:13-15 (Amplified Bible).
Satan is incredibly subtle. We are warned that he uses
professing men of God (ministers of righteousness) to deceive the Church. The
Bible calls him "the god of this world," and says that he blinds the minds of
unbelievers. Jesus called him "the prince of this world," and "the father of
lies."
The Scriptures continually warn the Church against his wiles (his methods),
using words such as "be not deceived," and telling us to "be vigilant." Well,
has Satan had any influence on you and me? Is there any deception with the
Church? That's what we are going to look at closely. We are going to look at
perhaps the greatest and most subtle of Satan's deceptions.
You may not be familiar with the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son, so let's
take a moment to consider what it says. The Prodigal Son asked his father for
his inheritance, then went into a far country and spent all his cash on parties
and prostitutes. He enjoyed "the pleasures of sin." But after a famine hit the
land, his money ran out, and the only job he could get was feeding pigs.
He became so hungry that he found himself desiring the food that the pigs were
eating. Suddenly, he "came to himself"--he came to his senses. Realizing that
even his father's servants had it better than he did, he decided to return and
say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. Take me on as a
hired servant." So he got up out of the pigsty and went back to his father.
His father was looking for his son's return, and the Bible says that "he saw him
while he was yet a great way off." He ran to his son, fell upon him, kissed him,
and rejoiced that he had returned. He freely forgave him and returned him to his
former state.
This is a picture of every person before they come to Christ. We turned from God
to serve the devil and the pleasures of sin. The Bible says that there is a
"spirit" that works in the children of disobedience. 1 John 3:8 says "He that
commits sin is of the devil..." Jesus even told the religious hypocrites of His
day that their father was the devil:
You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar,
and the father of it. John 8:44
Unsaved people live in the Kingdom of Darkness. It's as
simple as this, if we are serving sin, we are serving Satan. Our
appetites are unclean. We desire pig food. Consider what we crave. Think of the
contents of the average soap opera or prime time television show -- adultery,
jealously, lust, fornication, rape, gossip, and greed. Or the average movie
today with its violence, filthy language, explicit sex, and graphic murder.
Look at the covers of magazines in bookstores and supermarkets. They are
"soft-core" pornography, which a few years ago was considered hard-core and
hidden from young eyes. Think of video games that kids crave--many are extremely
violent and sexually perverted. Think of some rock music, with its explicit
sexuality, its blasphemy, and its dark Satanic side. Consider the Internet's
multi-billion dollar hard-core porn industry, or how the average person uses
filthy words and blasphemy in everyday speech. Life in the dirty pigsty is
normal, natural, and completely acceptable.
Yes, Satan is the god of this world, and he has deceived millions. But his
deception hasn't stopped there. It has moved into the Church. Despite what the
Bible says, that Satan is real, that he's a deceiver, and the god of this world
who blinds minds, look at what has happened--according to the Barna Research
Group:
In 2004, an incredible 50% of those who profess to be "born again" actually deny
Satan's existence.
That's unbelievable! Despite the revelation of Scripture, 50% of those who
profess to be born again actually deny Satan's existence. And the scary thing
about denying Satan, is that if you deny that he exists, you let your guard
down--you let him bring in deception. The place to corrupt the Church is at the
point of entry... to poison evangelistic message that brings people into the
Kingdom of God.
That's what has happened. We haven't been vigilant. We have allowed Satan to
contaminate the biblical method of evangelism. We have allowed certain
"ministers of righteousness" within the Church to move away from Scripture. They
refuse to use the Law (the Ten Commandments) to bring the knowledge of sin (as
Jesus did), and show sin to "be exceedingly sinful." This is despite the fact
that even the Apostle Paul said that he didn't know what sin was without the
Law. They say that they have found a shortcut to bring people to salvation. They
leave out the Law and instead take the prodigal back to the father, without
showing him that his appetites are unclean.
Remember that in the story Jesus told, the prodigal "came to his senses" when he
realized that he desired pig food. That's what made him want to go back to his
father and say "I have sinned against heaven and in yours sight, make me your
hired servant." In the name of sensitivity, modern preachers don't let that
happen. They shortcut that process. So instead of the professed convert saying
to the Father "I have sinned against Heaven. Make me your servant," he goes to
God and says, "I have run out of money. Give me some more. You be my servant."
And that's what's wrong with the modern church. It is filled with unconverted
people who have never seen that their sinful appetites are unclean. Modern
preachers have left out the Law, and so we have multitudes in pulpits and in
pews who don't see sin as exceedingly sinful. So they look on God as their
servant. Instead of saying, "Make me your servant," they say "Give me more!"
Aleister Crowley (who died in 1947), is considered to be the father of modern
Satanism. In his publication called, The Book of the Law, he sums up the essence
of Satanism. It is: "do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
And that sums up the desires of many who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ.
Their lack of concern for the lost shows that something is radically wrong. They
have never given up their selfish will, and cried, "Not my will but Yours be
done." They have never sought to serve God by doing His will by reaching out to
the unsaved.
Remember that Bill Bright said that only 2% of the contemporary church in
American share their faith regularly with others. All they want is what they can
get from God--health, wealth and prosperity. Listen to most modern preaching. It
caters to nothing but selfishness. It's self seeking, self serving, and
self-centered. The modern church has become the last days Laodicean church, who
says that it's rich and in need of nothing, but it is in truth, poor, blind,
wretched, miserable and naked.
How can this great multitude be awakened to this deception? Simply by helping
them look into the mirror--by seeing themselves under the light of God's
Law--the Ten Commandments. Every professing Christian
should obey the admonition to "Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith."
But many won't. They think they are saved because they call Jesus Lord, and do
miracles in His name. They will wait until the Day of Judgment and cry "Lord,
Lord, we did many wonderful works in your name," and Jesus will say to them,
"Depart from Me. You worker of Lawlessness. I never knew you." They are still in
their sins.
Martin Luther said, "The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God's
Law and show the nature of sin." Then he said, "This now is the Christian
teaching and preaching, which God be praised, we know and possess, and it is not
necessary at present to develop it further, but only to offer the admonition
that it be maintained in Christendom with all diligence. For Satan has attacked
it hard and strong from the beginning until present, and gladly would he
completely extinguish it and tread it under foot." After the Apostle Paul was
converted on the Road to Damascus, Jesus said to him,
But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to make you a minister and a witness... To open their eyes, and to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins... Acts 26:16-18
If you know this same Jesus, you too have the same commission--"to open their
eyes, and to turn [sinners] from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan
to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins..." The way to do that is to
do it the way Paul did it. The way Jesus did it. Learn to follow the biblical
method of using the Law (the Ten Commandments) to show why this sinful world why
they need the Savior.
IS SATAN REAL
(take 3)
By Bert Thompson
Lucifer was the
Anointed Cherub. Anointed means to be set apart for Gods Divine purpose. It also
means "bestowal of Gods divine favor", and "appointment to a special place or
function."
God had given Satan a certain amount of power and authority. But he perverted
that power. Lucifer wanted to exalt himself above God... rather than "just"
being the Angel of God.
Lucifer was created perfect in all his ways, but iniquity was found in him.
Satan was lifted up because of his beauty, he corrupted the wisdom by reason of
his brightness (This is in Ezekiel 28:17)
Ezekiel 28:12 (KJV)
“Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him,
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in
beauty.”
13.. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy
covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the
jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship
of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created".
14.. "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou
wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of
the stones of fire".
This is not an earthly king, as the word "cherub" is only used in references to
angels.
15.. "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till
iniquity was found in thee."
16.. "By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee
with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out
of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the
midst of the stones of fire".
The word "covering" is from the Hebrew word cakak, and means: to entwine, to
fence in, cover over, protect, defend, hedge in, (source "The complete word
study Old Testament")
Was Lucifer’s job to protect the very earth he corrupted? Was this one of his
duties that gave him so much pride?
17.. "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy
wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay
thee before kings, that they may behold thee".
18.."Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by
the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst
of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in
the sight of all them that behold thee".
Isaiah 14:12
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations"!
13.. "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt
my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north"
Satan wanted to be God. The Bible tells us in 2nd Corinthians
4:4 that Satan has become the "god of this world". And Revelation 20:10 tells us
that he will be eternally punished for it.
15.. "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit".
When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, one third of all the angels were cast out
with him. (Rev.12:4,9)
Lucifer became Satan, and the fallen angels became
Demons.
Why didn't God just destroy Satan?
Because sin had entered the world, and into the very nature of man through Adams
transgression, then for God to destroy Satan, he would also have had to destroy
the man he loved. But God had a better way. A way of Redemption.
And Christ the Redeemer was on His way !
What does Satan look like?
We've all seen pictures of Satan portrayed as a hoofed creature, red in color..
with little horns on his head.
But this description is not Biblical. The hoofed being we usually see is
actually closer to that of "Pan" from Greek mythology.
Perhaps Satan wants this image of himself to be used, because of its absurdity.
Knowing that the day would come when God and the Devil would both be dismissed
as "mythical"
Revelation 12:3 speaks of the red horned dragon. This is not Satan himself, but
a reference to him from where these physical attributes possibly originate.
Revelation 12:3 (KJV)
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads".
The Book of "Ezekiel" tells us what Lucifer really looked like before he sinned.
Lucifer was a being "of perfect beauty". He was covered in every precious stone.
He had pendants and jewels of gold...
Lucifer was beautiful before he sinned. An expression of Gods own beauty and
power. But like man, Lucifer’s very nature changed when he sinned. His
(Lucifer’s) physical appearance may have as well.
Ezekiel 28:13 (KJV)
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy
covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the
jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship
of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created."
In the literature of our society, Satan is almost always shown in robes of red.
Some believe that the color of an angels robes are symbolic of their rank in
heaven. I am unaware of a scripture to support this however.
There is a coming judgment of Satan and his angels.
2 Peter 2:4 (KJV)
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [the
Greek word here is "tartarus"], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to
be reserved unto judgment;”
Jude 1:6 (KJV)
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day."
In the day of judgment “…the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
John 17: talks of the time of judgment, the prince of this world will be driven
out.
Hell was not originally made for man. Hell was prepared
for the devil and his angels. But those who do not receive Christ as their Lord
and Savior will be sent to Hell, and have their part in the lake of fire.
Satan is "the god of this world" he " has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so
that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ" ( 2
Corinthians 4;4)
Satan is a liar. The Bible tells us he is the father of
all lies.
John 8:44 (KJV)
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a
liar, and the father of it.”
He will deceive man in any way he can.
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