Myth presentation for Wed the 18th
Satan
Basic Identity: Satan is the personification of evil. He is a fallen archangel cast out of heaven for ambition, pride and lust. (Some accounts refer to him as a demon, he is more widely accepted as a fallen angel.) He is the evil rebellious enemy of God and all mankind.
He has many names and identities dependent on culture and theology. The Hebrew translation of Satan means adversary or accuser. Satan is also commonly know as, The Devil, the Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, Belial, Mephistopheles, Lucifer or Asmodai. In Islam, Satan is known as Iblis or Shaitan, chief of the Jinn.
Visual Representation: The modern visualization of Satan is that of a red faced, horned, goat man with long pointed tail; he is usually holding a pitch fork. In earlier times he is pictured as a dark fallen angel in human form with dark wings. He is also represented as a serpent, dragon or beast.
Relations: He is one of the three eldest Sons of God, brother of Christ and Michael (Adam). Satan is the leader of the third of the hosts of Heaven that were also cast out.
Important Myths: Lucifer was created to be the first archangel of God and adorned with many riches. He was the most beautiful and the most wise of all the angels. He was a Cherubim set to guard the holiness of God. Upon the completion of the creation of the earth, Satan saw the glory of God and became envious of his power. He wanted to rule men and obtain the same glory. Lucifer asked his father for it. He was denied. He became angry and vowed that he would raise his own throne higher than the farthest star above heaven. This incited a war in heaven between the spirit beings that loved and glorified God and those that glorified Lucifer and his beauty, wisdom, pride and lust. Lucifer and a third of the hosts of heaven failed and God cast them out of heaven and threw them upon the earth. (Some accounts say beneath the earth.) Here they remain until the end of the world and the final battle between good and evil.
When God set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan saw his chance to have power over men. He knew if they partook of the forbidden fruit they would also be cast out of the presence of God. He intended to then have reign over them because they would have to reside on the earth out of the presence of God. When God realized the intentions of Satan he became angry at his second attempt to usurp his power and sentenced him to crawl on his belly and eat the dust of the earth. Before doing this however, God put enmity between man and Satan. He basically said if you want to try to reign over them go ahead. I give you the power to "bite at their heels", but to them I give the power "to crush your head." In other words, God allows Satan to test man and allows man to make choices in those test that can defeat the adversary.
More modern myths represent him as a charming, attractive trickster type that preys on peoples vanities and through temptation acquires their soul.
Connections: Satan is compared to Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) the evil spirit that is the enemy of Ahura Mazda. He can also be linked to Venus, the "Morning Star", as that is the translation of the name Lucifer. Satan is also much like Loki because they are both minor trickster gods that constantly oppose the forces of good. Likewise, he can be connected to Coyote who was also seeking personal glorification.
Sources: The Devil; Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Jeffrey Burton Russell.
The Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, translations from the Bible by Joseph Smith, 1830.
www.unseenworld.com/satan.html
http://users.aristotle.net/~bhuie/satan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/satan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/devil
Basic Identity: Satan is the personification of evil. He is a fallen archangel cast out of heaven for ambition, pride and lust. (Some accounts refer to him as a demon, he is more widely accepted as a fallen angel.) He is the evil rebellious enemy of God and all mankind.
He has many names and identities dependent on culture and theology. The Hebrew translation of Satan means adversary or accuser. Satan is also commonly know as, The Devil, the Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, Belial, Mephistopheles, Lucifer or Asmodai. In Islam, Satan is known as Iblis or Shaitan, chief of the Jinn.
Visual Representation: The modern visualization of Satan is that of a red faced, horned, goat man with long pointed tail; he is usually holding a pitch fork. In earlier times he is pictured as a dark fallen angel in human form with dark wings. He is also represented as a serpent, dragon or beast.
Relations: He is one of the three eldest Sons of God, brother of Christ and Michael (Adam). Satan is the leader of the third of the hosts of Heaven that were also cast out.
Important Myths: Lucifer was created to be the first archangel of God and adorned with many riches. He was the most beautiful and the most wise of all the angels. He was a Cherubim set to guard the holiness of God. Upon the completion of the creation of the earth, Satan saw the glory of God and became envious of his power. He wanted to rule men and obtain the same glory. Lucifer asked his father for it. He was denied. He became angry and vowed that he would raise his own throne higher than the farthest star above heaven. This incited a war in heaven between the spirit beings that loved and glorified God and those that glorified Lucifer and his beauty, wisdom, pride and lust. Lucifer and a third of the hosts of heaven failed and God cast them out of heaven and threw them upon the earth. (Some accounts say beneath the earth.) Here they remain until the end of the world and the final battle between good and evil.
When God set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan saw his chance to have power over men. He knew if they partook of the forbidden fruit they would also be cast out of the presence of God. He intended to then have reign over them because they would have to reside on the earth out of the presence of God. When God realized the intentions of Satan he became angry at his second attempt to usurp his power and sentenced him to crawl on his belly and eat the dust of the earth. Before doing this however, God put enmity between man and Satan. He basically said if you want to try to reign over them go ahead. I give you the power to "bite at their heels", but to them I give the power "to crush your head." In other words, God allows Satan to test man and allows man to make choices in those test that can defeat the adversary.
More modern myths represent him as a charming, attractive trickster type that preys on peoples vanities and through temptation acquires their soul.
Connections: Satan is compared to Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) the evil spirit that is the enemy of Ahura Mazda. He can also be linked to Venus, the "Morning Star", as that is the translation of the name Lucifer. Satan is also much like Loki because they are both minor trickster gods that constantly oppose the forces of good. Likewise, he can be connected to Coyote who was also seeking personal glorification.
Sources: The Devil; Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Jeffrey Burton Russell.
The Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, translations from the Bible by Joseph Smith, 1830.
www.unseenworld.com/satan.html
http://users.aristotle.net/~bhuie/satan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/satan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/devil