Christian Belief in Satan

[Kenny]

I have a question for Christians. Why do Christians believe that Satan the Devil is an evil spirit being when ancient Judaism, the religion that the Christian religion is derived from, never believed that Satan was an evil spirit being? Or I'm thinking that most Christians don't know that ancient Judaism never believed that ha satan was an evil spirit being.



Who Is Satan?

Any feedback from Christians about this would be appreciated.

I think it was quite clear in as much as The Serpent was already in the Garden.

In Job, the oldest book written, if I am not mistaken, we also see Satan as one who steals, kills and destroys. And if his name means "adversary" and he is Hashem's adversary, it wouldn't be hard to understand that he isn't good.

So, whether some in ancient Judaism believed or not really isn't the issue. The first group of Israelites didn't believe God could bring them into the promised land but it didn't mean God couldn't. He just needed some who understood and moved in faith.

Additionally, we understand that Jesus gave the ultimate revelation of truth in light of my signature.

 

[Kenny]

Thank you for your reply. So, are you implying that God held back information from the ancient Jews about the nature and the reality of mankind's supposedly most dangerous and worst enemy, but only decided to reveal that information millennia later? And if so, and if you don't know the reason as to why, do you at least have any speculation as to why?

I don't think that God held back. When Adam and Eve chose to follow a different spirit and were separated from God, man's mind deteriorated. So, rather than withholding information, it was more like man had to come back to the revelation as his mind was renewed back to God. Abraham came back to the revelation of who God was.

Over time, man relearned who God was as Rohi, Shalom, Ruah, Nissi, Rapha... progressively learning... again.

 

[Madmogwai]

I have a question for Christians. Why do Christians believe that Satan the Devil is an evil spirit being when ancient Judaism, the religion that the Christian religion is derived from, never believed that Satan was an evil spirit being? Or I'm thinking that most Christians don't know that ancient Judaism never believed that ha satan was an evil spirit being.



Who Is Satan?

Any feedback from Christians about this would be appreciated.

If Satan is Evil why did a massive 1/3rd of the Angels follow him.

 

[InChrist]

And Muslims also believe in progressive revelation, so you should probably be Muslim instead of Christian.

I can’t be a Muslin because I belong to Jesus. Muslins don’t accept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, though, who came in the flesh to earth. The entire Bible is a revelation and testimony of Christ. The OT points forward to His coming to earth and the NT points back to His finished work on the cross for the redemption of humanity and His resurrection of victory over death and the offer of eternal life to all who trust Him as their Savior.

 

[David Davidovich]

It is only because sinners live here on earth that the earth is sin infested. So God allowed/s us to live in His creation and make it unholy with our sins.

Same thing with heaven? Because that seems to be against the principles of God (2 Corinthians 6:17)

Even if He knows us and what we will be like and what we will do before we exist God could not legitimately judge humanity when most of humanity was not even born yet.

Why not? He's God. And as I've heard Christians and other apologists say: He can do anything that he wants to or chooses.

We don't really know the ins and outs of Satan and his place in heaven and that of the angels but we know God knows the future and what He will do but there is no reason to do it until the angels and people actually live and do things which God can judge.

That brings up a question in my mind: Didn't Satan and the angels know that God knew the future and that in the end, everything would be judged and turned in his favor? Because more so than Adam and Eve, I would think that Satan and the angels would have realized that their course would be suicide.

I don't know what you mean about Romans 3:4.

New International Version
Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

>>>Romans 3:4
Therefore, at least Christians would never judge God because they are always trying to bend over backwards trying to defend and advocate what they believe as being God's word as being true.

But God is being judged by the angels and other spirits and if the see God be unjust then they might just make any rebellion against God wider and many more might go the way of Satan and those who followed him.

So, when did they originally see God be unjust, which started the angels and spirits to rebel, who first rebelled against God?

I would have thought so but Satan is cunning and able to twist things around and probably make it sound as if nothing was his fault.

To the one running the whole show, God?

We humans choose the path we take and what we do. We are the ones who are cruel to one another.

That's a broad brush because that doesn't apply to all of us.

 

[David Davidovich]

If Satan is Evil why did a massive 1/3rd of the Angels follow him.

Evil angels?

 

[David Davidovich]

I think it was quite clear in as much as The Serpent was already in the Garden.

In Job, the oldest book written, if I am not mistaken, we also see Satan as one who steals, kills and destroys. And if his name means "adversary" and he is Hashem's adversary, it wouldn't be hard to understand that he isn't good.

So, whether some in ancient Judaism believed or not really isn't the issue. The first group of Israelites didn't believe God could bring them into the promised land but it didn't mean God couldn't. He just needed some who understood and moved in faith.

Additionally, we understand that Jesus gave the ultimate revelation of truth in light of my signature.

So, you're comparing a belief in a fallen angel as the leader of the hordes of evil spirits to believing that God could bring the Israelites into the promised land? Although, I don't recall any verse in the Hebrew text/Old Testament where God requested to the Israelites to believe that ha satan was once an angel and that for some reason was tempted by Adam and Eve's existence and disguised himself as a snake and deceived them in order to rule over them, and then became the leader of other fallen angels.

 

[David Davidovich]

I don't think that God held back. When Adam and Eve chose to follow a different spirit and were separated from God, man's mind deteriorated. So, rather than withholding information, it was more like man had to come back to the revelation as his mind was renewed back to God. Abraham came back to the revelation of who God was.

Over time, man relearned who God was as Rohi, Shalom, Ruah, Nissi, Rapha... progressively learning... again.

So, in other words, are you saying that during the hundreds or perhaps thousands of years of Hebrew/Jewish history until Jesus, humans weren't spiritually in tuned enough to understand what Satan was? And if so, do you know when exactly did this understanding of what Satan was start to occur within the ancient Jewish culture?

 

[Kenny]

So, you're comparing a belief in a fallen angel as the leader of the hordes of evil spirits to believing that God could bring the Israelites into the promised land? Although, I don't recall any verse in the Hebrew text/Old Testament where God requested to the Israelites to believe that ha satan was once an angel and that for some reason was tempted by Adam and Eve's existence and disguised himself as a snake and deceived them in order to rule over them, and then became the leader of other fallen angels.

I'm sorry for a poor analogy. I'm just trying to say that just because someone didn't believe at one time doesn't equate that it never was. I wasn't trying to say that God requested the Israelites to believe ha satan was once an angel.

I never said that he "disguised" himself. It doesn't really say how it happened so we can only have a theological position. We do have examples of demons going into animals and people. But who knows?

But, yes, Adam and Eve did hand over the authority of the earth to this fallen angel. In our understanding, he tried to then see if he could temp The Word made flesh also.

 

[Kenny]

So, in other words, are you saying that during the hundreds or perhaps thousands of years of Hebrew/Jewish history until Jesus, humans weren't spiritually in tuned enough to understand what Satan was? And if so, do you know when exactly did this understanding of what Satan was start to occur within the ancient Jewish culture?

I think you are reading into what I am saying when you make the statement that in Hebrew history "humans weren't spiritually tuned in enough to understand".

Doesn't the Kabbalah talk about HaSatan? Did not Zachariah talk about HaSatan? Did not Job talk about HaSatan? Obviously they were spiritually "tuned in".

I believe what I said was that so much was lost that the revelation of everything came in progression.

 

[wellwisher]

I have a question for Christians. Why do Christians believe that Satan the Devil is an evil spirit being when ancient Judaism, the religion that the Christian religion is derived from, never believed that Satan was an evil spirit being? Or I'm thinking that most Christians don't know that ancient Judaism never believed that ha satan was an evil spirit being.

God created the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. The million dollar question is how long did God rest? This is not clear cut. Conceptually, if God was resting for an extended period of time, then who was the "God" who appeared in the Old Testament? That "God" appears to have been Satan.

Satan was not originally evil, but like the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he was both good and evil. This could explain the concern of Atheists, who wonder why a good God would do evil. God the Father was still resting, and Satan was given the task to care for the humans, while he rested. In the human Sabbath, one is not supposed to work on the Sabbath. If things still need to be done; care for the humans, you need to hire someone to work on your behalf. The human Sabbath is mirror of heavenly things; Satan was the hired hand, as God rested.

The way I inferred that God was/is still resting, through the Old and New Testament and even beyond, is connected to how epic God-like creation, pauses after the sixth day, until Revelations, when it finally starts to occur again. There is big difference between parting the Red Sea and making a universe or forming all type of life. The parting of the sea, could be done by an underling. It is not until Revelations that we starts to see epic scale creation, again, such as an entire bejeweled city; Heavenly Jerusalem, coming from the sky, and then an entirely new heaven and earth is created.

Jesus says that nobody has seen the Father except the Son, and whomever the Son wished him to see. This suggests God the Father is Sabbath resting, and not on the job. He is only interacting with family on the heavenly Sabbath; Son. However, the Old Testament saw somebody; hired hand who was the Lord of the Earth, Satan.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil is Satan's tree and also the basis for Law. Law is about good and evil. I would expect Satan to teach law, since that is associated with him. The Mosaic Law was from Satan on behalf of God. God the Father is more about life and a more integrated way of looking at reality; tree of life. Creation of the universe needs objective science; God, while law is more like liberal arts; Satan.

Jesus, before he began his ministry, wandered in the desert for 40 days, where it meets Satan. Satan, among other things, offers Jesus the wealth and power of the all the kingdoms of the earth, if Jesus would bow and serve him. Satan had this authority, as Lord of the Earth, as God the Father rested. Jesus does not question his authority but declines the offer.

Had Jesus agreed, he would have become the Messiah, anticipated by the Old Testament; rich and powerful prophet able to subdue all the enemies of Israel. But to fulfill the Prophesy of Satan, it would have required Jesus, the Son of God, ally himself with Satan. Instead, Jesus graciously declines the offer. Jesus would go on to take over Satan's job; Satan is thrown from Heaven with his 1/3 of the angels. While the slayed lamb is brought to God.

When Jesus takes over Satan's jobs, and Satan is thrown from Heaven, Satan is no longer condoned in heaven. The Old and New Testament, although under Satan was condoned by Heaven. But after Satan is expelled and no longer condoned by Heaven, Satan changes his role to an antagonist instead of ally with God. Jesus then becomes the good side and Satan is demoted to the dark side. Jesus prepares the final things before God stops his rest. God's batteries are then fully charged and he is ready for a second round of epic creation; the old heaven and earth pass away and new heaven and earth appear.

I am not sure if God's extended rest is blaspheme, but I learned it a few years ago, from an inspiration. It seems logical and can explain many paradoxical concerns of the Atheists.

 

[muhammad_isa]

God created the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. The million dollar question is how long did God rest?

G-d never rests. He is never weary or sleeps. He is maintaining the universe constantly.
If G-d was not maintaining it, the universe would cease to exist.
No atoms .. no forces .. no nothing.

Satan was not originally evil, but like the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he was both good and evil.

True .. before he became satan he was pious, worshiping with the angels.

Satan, among other things, offers Jesus the wealth and power of the all the kingdoms of the earth, if Jesus would bow and serve him. Satan had this authority, as Lord of the Earth, as God the Father rested..

satan is a created being. his power is not comparable to that of G-d.
satan suggests to us to commit evil .. remembrance of G-d, and seeking G-d's forgiveness
saves us from his suggestions in the long run.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

In the book of Daniel, it tells us some words were “made secret.”

So, based on this, should we expect the Jews to understand everything in Scripture?

So I agree with @InChrist ’s post #2.

In John 8:44, Jesus mentioned the Devil, saying he did not “stand fast” in the Truth. That implies that Satan was *in* the Truth, but left it.

Just as children aren’t born thieves, but they become thieves by the choices they make (and disappoint their parents)….so, too, with Satan the Devil. He made choices to oppose & slander Jehovah God.

All intelligent creatures have that ability of Free Will, it seems.

Doesn’t 2 Peter 2:4 reveal that there were “angels that sinned”?

The Devil was just the first, apparently.

Take care, my cousin.

 

[David Davidovich]

God created the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. The million dollar question is how long did God rest? This is not clear cut. Conceptually, if God was resting for an extended period of time, then who was the "God" who appeared in the Old Testament? That "God" appears to have been Satan.

Satan was not originally evil, but like the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he was both good and evil. This could explain the concern of Atheists, who wonder why a good God would do evil. God the Father was still resting, and Satan was given the task to care for the humans, while he rested. In the human Sabbath, one is not supposed to work on the Sabbath. If things still need to be done; care for the humans, you need to hire someone to work on your behalf. The human Sabbath is mirror of heavenly things; Satan was the hired hand, as God rested.

The way I inferred that God was/is still resting, through the Old and New Testament and even beyond, is connected to how epic God-like creation, pauses after the sixth day, until Revelations, when it finally starts to occur again. There is big difference between parting the Red Sea and making a universe or forming all type of life. The parting of the sea, could be done by an underling. It is not until Revelations that we starts to see epic scale creation, again, such as an entire bejeweled city; Heavenly Jerusalem, coming from the sky, and then an entirely new heaven and earth is created.

Jesus says that nobody has seen the Father except the Son, and whomever the Son wished him to see. This suggests God the Father is Sabbath resting, and not on the job. He is only interacting with family on the heavenly Sabbath; Son. However, the Old Testament saw somebody; hired hand who was the Lord of the Earth, Satan.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil is Satan's tree and also the basis for Law. Law is about good and evil. I would expect Satan to teach law, since that is associated with him. The Mosaic Law was from Satan on behalf of God. God the Father is more about life and a more integrated way of looking at reality; tree of life. Creation of the universe needs objective science; God, while law is more like liberal arts; Satan.

Jesus, before he began his ministry, wandered in the desert for 40 days, where it meets Satan. Satan, among other things, offers Jesus the wealth and power of the all the kingdoms of the earth, if Jesus would bow and serve him. Satan had this authority, as Lord of the Earth, as God the Father rested. Jesus does not question his authority but declines the offer.

Had Jesus agreed, he would have become the Messiah, anticipated by the Old Testament; rich and powerful prophet able to subdue all the enemies of Israel. But to fulfill the Prophesy of Satan, it would have required Jesus, the Son of God, ally himself with Satan. Instead, Jesus graciously declines the offer. Jesus would go on to take over Satan's job; Satan is thrown from Heaven with his 1/3 of the angels. While the slayed lamb is brought to God.

When Jesus takes over Satan's jobs, and Satan is thrown from Heaven, Satan is no longer condoned in heaven. The Old and New Testament, although under Satan was condoned by Heaven. But after Satan is expelled and no longer condoned by Heaven, Satan changes his role to an antagonist instead of ally with God. Jesus then becomes the good side and Satan is demoted to the dark side. Jesus prepares the final things before God stops his rest. God's batteries are then fully charged and he is ready for a second round of epic creation; the old heaven and earth pass away and new heaven and earth appear.

I am not sure if God's extended rest is blaspheme, but I learned it a few years ago, from an inspiration. It seems logical and can explain many paradoxical concerns of the Atheists.

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but in the OP, I said this was "a question for Christians." And according to Christians (or at least most of them) God is omniscient and doesn't literally sleep.

 

[Brian2]

So, in other words, are you saying that during the hundreds or perhaps thousands of years of Hebrew/Jewish history until Jesus, humans weren't spiritually in tuned enough to understand what Satan was? And if so, do you know when exactly did this understanding of what Satan was start to occur within the ancient Jewish culture?

It would be interesting to know when the Jews developed their current doctrine of Satan. It certainly seems that in Jesus day they believed in demon possession and possibly that Satan was not a friendly angel roaming around doing the will of God.

 

[Brian2]

Why not? He's God. And as I've heard Christians and other apologists say: He can do anything that he wants to or chooses.

God does what is right and if God decided to do what is wrong, that does not make it right, and would mean that God is not good.

That brings up a question in my mind: Didn't Satan and the angels know that God knew the future and that in the end, everything would be judged and turned in his favor? Because more so than Adam and Eve, I would think that Satan and the angels would have realized that their course would be suicide.

I imagine so. That does not mean that they will not go down the wrong path however.

>>>Romans 3:4
Therefore, at least Christians would never judge God because they are always trying to bend over backwards trying to defend and advocate what they believe as being God's word as being true.

Christians are prone to judge God and God can use that to give us a better understanding of Him and an even closer relationship hopefully.

So, when did they originally see God be unjust, which started the angels and spirits to rebel, who first rebelled against God?

I don't know what went on and I don't think anyone originally did see God be unjust. I think it all began with Satan becoming proud but other than what we are told about in the Bible I cannot say what happened.

To the one running the whole show, God?

No, not to God, but to others who may have been watching.

That's a broad brush because that doesn't apply to all of us.

If you want to believe God does things just to be cruel to humans, that is your business and you can suggest it all you want. I don't think that God allowed fallen angels to be on earth because of His cruelty however.
I hear various answers to questions like that, but I don't know the reason even if I don't think it is because God is being cruel.

 

[Colt]

I have a question for Christians. Why do Christians believe that Satan the Devil is an evil spirit being when ancient Judaism, the religion that the Christian religion is derived from, never believed that Satan was an evil spirit being? Or I'm thinking that most Christians don't know that ancient Judaism never believed that ha satan was an evil spirit being.



Who Is Satan?

Any feedback from Christians about this would be appreciated.

Good question. The belief in Satan as a real personality who is not merely any adversary in particular, but the adversary, devil, serpent etc comes from the Bible itself. IF ha-satan is simply synonymous with being tempted by our own desires then a whole bunch of misunderstanding could have been avoided from the moment Eve was tempted by her own desires, an adversarial spirit against God arising out of her own heart. BUT, that's not how the exchange is portrayed! Eve in fact has a conversation with a character called a "crafty beast" which had been created by God. The world then falls AND the beast itself is condemned for his part in it!

This piece covers the evolution of Satan in Judaism and Christianity. From where did the Jews get the concept of Satan?

The Fall​

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

 

[muhammad_isa]

God does what is right and if God decided to do what is wrong, that does not make it right, and would mean that God is not good.

I imagine so. That does not mean that they will not go down the wrong path however.

Christians are prone to judge God and God can use that to give us a better understanding of Him and an even closer relationship hopefully.

I like your answers, and agree with them.

 

[Brian2]

I like your answers, and agree with them.

We may agree on more things than we disagree about.

 

[Colt]

It would be interesting to know when the Jews developed their current doctrine of Satan. It certainly seems that in Jesus day they believed in demon possession and possibly that Satan was not a friendly angel roaming around doing the will of God.

Good point!

Berean Standard Bible A House Divided (Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23) 22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. 23The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul,d the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.” 25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.