by Rich Deem  Introduction Who is Satan? Satan? Satan or the Devil is often portrayed as some guy in a red suit with horns, a pitchfork, and a tail.1 This cartoon-like caricature is often mocked as being made up. Is this what Satan looks like? Is he real? According to the Barna Group, the majority of Christians do not believe that Satan or the devil actually exists.2 However, according to an AP-AOL news poll, up to 97% of evangelical Christians believe that angels exist.3 Contrary to the beliefs of many, Satan is not the opposite of God—an anti-god. According to the Bible, Satan is a created being, having been created by God as His most powerful angelic helper. So, Satan is an angel who rebelled against God. Who is Satan? The Bible says that Satan was created by God as a cherub, the most powerful of Gods angelic beings.4 Some time after his creation and before the creation of mankind,5 Satan rebelled against God and took one third of the angels (now referred to as demons) with him into rebellion.6 What does Satan look like? No, Satan does not look like the cartoon character in the red suit with a tail and horns and a pitchfork. Contrary to the beliefs of some Christians, Barak Obama is not Satan. Angels, including Satan, dont have male or female characteristics in their heavenly state (which Jesus told us through His teaching7). However, when they come to earth, they can take on human form. In the Bible, all angels who take on human form appear as males. All biblical references address Satan by the personal pronoun he. However, in their heavenly state according to the Bible, a cherub is a large creature—up to 18 feet in height8 with 8 foot long wings.9 In the prophet Ezekiels vision, the cherubim (plural of cherub) had four wings.10 Under their wings were human-like hands that could could be used to carry things.10 All the surfaces of the cherubim, including the wings, were covered with eyes.11 Each cherub had four faces, one of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.12 The New Testament book of Revelation describes similar creatures, only with six wings each, with faces of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.13 So, these creatures look nothing like the cute little cherubim you can buy for your garden or bookshelf. Satan himself is described as being perfect in beauty, being adorned with all kinds of precious stones.4 The fall of Satan Satan was created as a perfect being. He is described as originally being wise and completely righteous.4 However, pride caused Satan to fall, (your heart was lifted up because of your beauty),4 since he wanted to receive the worship due to God alone.14 At that point there was rebellion in heaven, when Satan convinced one third of the angels to rebel against God.15 Michael, an archangel of God, fought with Gods angels against Satan and his angels, with Satan losing the battle and being cast from heaven down to earth.15 It isnt certain when Satan rebelled against God, but a passage from the book of Job (Job 38:4-7) suggests it occurred between the creation of the earth and the creation of Adam and Eve. In describing the creation of the earth to Job and his friends, God said that all the sons of God shouted for joy.16 Presumably, all the sons of God would have included Satan as well, suggesting he hadnt rebelled at the point the earth was created. However, Satan wasnt finished in his rebellion against God. Satan took on the form of a snake in the garden of Eden to tempt Eve.4, 15 He managed to convince Eve that Gods instructions against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were done as a way of keeping something good from her. She believed Satans lie that she would become like God.17 We dont know where Adam was at the time of Satans temptation, but he followed his wifes lead and also disobeyed Gods instructions. Satans continued rebellion Satan continues in his rebellion today, since he hates God and His plans. He wants people to worship him and follow his evil ways. He opposes Jesus Christ—God who took on the form of a man to redeem humanity from their sin,18 and restore their relationship with Him. A comparison between Jesus and Satan is given in the table below.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 18:48:26 +0000
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