Satanology, Part 1

Origins of Satan

Of the order of angelic beings—of the Sons of God Job 1:6/2:1

When was He created? Sometime before Day 7 of Creation—when God rested from His creative work

Probably before (or at) the creation of the earth

We could argue for sometime in Eternity past (pre-time)

Job 38:4–7 ESV

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Does He still have access to the throne?

Most argue NO; that it ended at the resurrection

Some would say it will end at the 2nd coming—or in the end times

Details of the Fall

When—between day #6, all was very good, and the temptation of Eve

…we don’t know when that was!

> suggested by Ezek 28:13 that he existed in Eden before he fell

Why—pride

Indications from Babylon and Tyre; language of both too strong for merely earthly rulers (Grudem)

Isaiah 14:12–15 ESV

“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; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

Ezekiel 28:12–15 ESV

“Son of man, 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, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

Day Star in Isaiah—in KJV/NKJV rendered “Lucifer”

He took others with him when ejected

Revelation 12:4 ESV

His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

Revelation 12:7–9 ESV

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

2 Peter 2:4 ESV

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

Jude 6 ESV

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Chains/darkness indicate their state of being, not location—they are active in affairs of the world/people; nonredeemable, bound for the lake of fire

Sighting of Satan

Old Testament

OT, by name, very few

(nerdy stuff, the term can be applied generically as adversary or accuser without meaning the being we’re discussing)

Job 1 and 2 as discussed above

Zechariah 3:1–2 ESV

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”

1 Chronicles 21:1 ESV

Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

We see him as the serpent in the temptation of Eve

We see him as the force, if not the being, behind the worship of demons and false gods throughout OT

Leviticus 17:7 ESV

So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.

Deuteronomy 31:16–17 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’