Why study Satan? 1) The Bible identifies Satan as public enemy #1, the greatest adversary (Heb., Satan = Adversary) of all sentient beings – including God. To fight him we need to know him[1] (2Co 2:11 = Paul’s use of the plural personal pronoun [“we”] when claiming they were “not ignorant” of Satan’s “schemes” implies that he and his pastoral team -and possibly those in the Corinthian church, had received in-depth teaching on Satan’s profile).[2] 2) Satan is no longer incarcerated and mounting a global misinformation/hate campaign against the last vestige of God’s people on earth (Rev 20:1-9). Our ability to prepare ourselves through its identification also demands we endeavor to possess an accurate and thorough profile of his person and history (1Th 2:14-18 w/3:1-4 = Endurance thru diagnosis). The following profile is based on the conclusions that may be drawn about Satan when considering the teachings of Scripture and traditions of the Ancient Near East (ANE).CREATION AND PRE-CRIME CAREER 1. Satan was a high ranking, highly elite throne-guardian angel who looks like a fiery winged serpent or dragon and existed as one of several types of elohim created not only before human beings but the construction of our entire universe. [DISCUSSED]CRIMES AND PENALTIES 2. Satan sparked an insurrection not only against God but His high priest Adam, convincing a third of the angel population to follow him in his rebellion.2.1. insurrection against God: (Gen 3:1-5) = Verses 4 and 5 reveal that Satan’s initial inquiry was not innocent, but for the purpose of calling the equity of God’s prohibition into question (His death threat was a lie and His motives for making the one tree off limits was selfish - i.e., He did not want to share His divinity with others). By such actions, Satan was guilty of the greatest covenant sin: divine insurrection (deliberately slandering God by accusing Him or one of His anointed leaders of evil; Mat 12:22-34 “vipers” (~ little satans) = Jesus equates the pharisees to Satan – the first insurrectionist. 2.2. Though, it is often assumed that Satan’s initial rebellion took place before the creation of our world, the biblical evidence says otherwise (Eze 28:12-13a w/14-15) = Satan’s insurrection took place while at his post guarding Adam, God’s first high priest and divine council (“stones of fire” = ANE reference to a DC [Psa 82:1ff]) in God’s first temple (“Eden, the garden of God…the mountain of God” = ANE reference to divine temples [sacred gardens and mountains][3]). 2.3. insurrection…against…His priest Adam: How? 1) thru Satan’s deception of his wife. Eve had likely heard God’s prohibition from her husband (Gen 2:17 = Prohibition spoken to Adam before Eve was created; Gen 3:3 “God has said” versus “God said” may also indicate she had received the command indirectly [through her husband]). As such, what Satan was doing in his condemnation of God’s rule was true also for Adam His priest: the one who had taught this rule to his wife. Like God, Adam was (in Satan’s mind) guilty of promoting evil through the authority of his position and teaching.[4] 2) thru his (likely) open refusal to recognize Adam’s divine authority above his own (Eze 28:16-17 “By the abundance of your trade [Because of the abundance of your materials – i.e., position, possessions and stature – Eze 28:13-14] you were internally filled with violence [the need to fight against God’s justice/moral decisions]…Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor”[You let your natural gifting go to your head; You charmed yourself into believing you were smarter or more righteous than God]; Isa 14:12 “star of the morning, son of the dawn” [firstborn – or first of the Father’s strength and beauty- Eze 28:12]; Isa 14:13-14 [Satan believed he sb above God Himself – security detail to humans was therefore a huge slap in the face]; e.g., Num 16:1-3). There was also the issue of Satan’s place as the first to be created (ANE principle of the firstborn: majority recipient of the father’s possessions and rightful heir to the throne). [5] 2.4. That humans - or God’s divine council, has authority over angels is attested to in the NT (1Co 6:3; Jud 1:8-9).2.5. Both biblical evidence and Jewish tradition suggest that those angels who fell with Satan were those under his direct command (i.e., those soldiers loyal to his command as their general - Eze 28:14 “anointed” [double entendre’ ~ expansive a reference to his wings] = A God appointed, high ranking [military?] leader). [6] 2.6. The number of angels who followed Satan in his rebellion could be 50 million (Rev 12:3-4 “a third of the stars” [angels – Job 38:7] w/Dan 7:10 and Rev 5:11 “myriads upon myriads” [10k x 10k = 100m] = 50m loyal soldier demons).3. The initial punishments suffered by Satan for his insurrection were ...
