a date with the lexicons
Alright, so I spent half an hour or so in the library today with about seven lexicons spread out around me, some opened to Isaiah, and some to Ezekiel, in particular the chapters about Satan, or the chapters interpreted to be about Satan, where most of the beliefs about his figure come from. The best example is this section from ezekiel
"" 'You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, [b] turquoise and beryl. [c]
Your settings and mountings [d] were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All the nations who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "
However, this in and of itself is pulled out of context. the verse immediately before it states: ""Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:" So, what is Ezekiel saying? is he saying that the king of Tyre is Satan? or is he talking about man in general? In my opinion, it is odd of Ezekiel to be doing either, but seems much more odd for him to be telling the king that he is satan incarnate.
As for Isaiah, it states:
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. [b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
"Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?
However this is directed to the king of Babylon, which the King James Version happens to call Lucifer, but is more accurately translated as morning star, in the NIV it states: "On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "
So, in both cases, we can see that the thought of satan, originates from the words directed at a king who sets himself up as God like the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre did. Thus, I think it reasonable that this idea, (that man can become like God, or as a god to itself) is the "satan" which has been created by the church. This idea is the reason sin exists, man trying to be like God, and when that idea is disposed of only then can we truly serve Him. When we put ourselves in the place of God we become "the Satan," or as discussed earlier, the adversary of God.
So, do I think that there is a figure which is the SOURCE of all evil? no.
There may be an angel who became proud and was exiled from heaven, but I don't believe that the Old testament mentions anything of him.
The source of all evil however, I believe to be the idea that creates adversaries of God, and that each one of us can be adversaries, or satans if one will, if we make ourself our own God. The idea which does not submit to the order of God, could also be called chaos, and so it is reasonable to call the inanimate force of chaos, satan.
~Justin Goodman
"" 'You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, [b] turquoise and beryl. [c]
Your settings and mountings [d] were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All the nations who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "
However, this in and of itself is pulled out of context. the verse immediately before it states: ""Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:" So, what is Ezekiel saying? is he saying that the king of Tyre is Satan? or is he talking about man in general? In my opinion, it is odd of Ezekiel to be doing either, but seems much more odd for him to be telling the king that he is satan incarnate.
As for Isaiah, it states:
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. [b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
"Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?
However this is directed to the king of Babylon, which the King James Version happens to call Lucifer, but is more accurately translated as morning star, in the NIV it states: "On the day the LORD gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "
So, in both cases, we can see that the thought of satan, originates from the words directed at a king who sets himself up as God like the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre did. Thus, I think it reasonable that this idea, (that man can become like God, or as a god to itself) is the "satan" which has been created by the church. This idea is the reason sin exists, man trying to be like God, and when that idea is disposed of only then can we truly serve Him. When we put ourselves in the place of God we become "the Satan," or as discussed earlier, the adversary of God.
So, do I think that there is a figure which is the SOURCE of all evil? no.
There may be an angel who became proud and was exiled from heaven, but I don't believe that the Old testament mentions anything of him.
The source of all evil however, I believe to be the idea that creates adversaries of God, and that each one of us can be adversaries, or satans if one will, if we make ourself our own God. The idea which does not submit to the order of God, could also be called chaos, and so it is reasonable to call the inanimate force of chaos, satan.
~Justin Goodman