10/28/18 ~ The True Story of Satan

From the Preacher’s Pen…

Inquiring minds want to know! That made a lot of money for a magazine, but over the years most people have realized that the articles were pure fiction. People have always enjoyed fiction. Adam and Eve enjoyed (however briefly) the fiction that eating from a certain tree would make them just like God. But fiction is still false and never has the lasting enjoyment of truth.

We’ve all heard a lot of fiction about the Bible and one of the greatest subjects is Satan. There are some imaginative stories about his name and where he came from. So, let’s check out a bit of fiction and replace it with truth:

The True Story of Satan

In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, he discusses hearsay (Matthew 5:21-48). His ultimate point is that people often misrepresent what God has actually said and that God expects His people to truly know and follow the real teachings of God. The Jews had made up so many stories, so many myths and fables that they often confused what God had actually said with what they thought or imagined on a subject.

The Apostle Paul dealt with much the same issue as he gave instructions to his fellow preachers Timothy and Titus. To Titus (1:13-14) he says that, because human lies are not trustworthy, those who teach them are to be severely reproved so that they may be sound in the faith not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

Likewise, Timothy is commanded to point out these various sins to Christians (1 Timothy 4:1-6) and (verse 7) to have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. Paul goes on to describe this as self-discipline for the purpose of godliness.

Now, after all that, let’s get to Satan. What is his story? Where did he come from? Is he a fallen angel? Was he actually God’s chief angel? Oh, and very important, what about his name: Lucifer?

As far as what Scripture actually says… There is today no such being or person as Lucifer!

Wait a minute! Doesn’t the Bible say that Lucifer is the devil’s name? In fact, one of the frequent claims of the King James Version worshipers is that other Bibles leave out the name Lucifer and so they are frauds!

The King James Bible frequently consulted the Latin (in plain English, the very manuscripts most often corrupted by the Catholic church and used for their frequent false teachings) and from them chose to use a Latin word rather than the Hebrew. One has to suspect, though it’s hard to trace, that Lucifer was perhaps an early medieval name and myth about the angel that fell and became Satan. But in reality, no such story exists anywhere in Scripture.

The KJV turned a fairy tale into a wild story that’s repeated by “everyone” today. There are two “proof” passages. First is Ezekiel 28. Verses 1-10 are usually accepted as being about the human king of Tyre (after all, it says that in verse two). But verses 11-19 are claimed to be all about Lucifer. Just for reference, verse 12 says almost the same thing as verse two. The discussion in God’s own words is all about the king of Tyre. If you actually read it, there is nothing about Lucifer or Satan actually there at all!

The second “proof” text is, of course, Isaiah 14 and especially verse 12 where God this time applies the term to the King of Babylon. The KJV is the first to use the Latin term as a proper name and totally invent something that is never in the Bible.

The Hebrew has: “heleyl, ben shachar” which is literally “shining one, son of dawn.” This phrase means, again literally, the planet Venus when it appears as a morning star. In the Septuagint it is translated as “heosphoros” which also means Venus as a morning star.

The Latin word lucifer is first used in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate. In Latin at the time, lucifer actually refers to Venus as a morning star. Isaiah is using this metaphor for a bright light, though not the greatest light to illustrate the apparent power of the Babylonian king which then faded. The KJV translators took an old Latin adjective and made it a proper noun to agree with their mythical beliefs. That’s neither good linguistics nor good theology!

As for Satan, we know absolutely nothing from God about where he came from! Is he actually a fallen angel? Scripture never says that. It DOES say a few other things on the subject:

2 Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan DISGUISES himself as an angel of light. Revelation 12:9 says that Satan was/is cast down (out of heaven presumably) with his angels at the crucifixion. And Matthew 25:41 says that the eternal fire (of hell) is prepared for the devil and his angels.

So, honestly, to say anything about Lucifer and Satan as being the same, or anything about where Satan came from is to indulge in either medieval fairy tales or sheer, ignorant speculation without a leg to stand on.

As God’s people, let’s make a point of NOT paying attention to myths and worldly fables… just like God tells us! Let’s stick with and place our trust in the firm foundation of God’s word as our God commands us to do.

Where Scripture actually speaks, let us speak boldly. Where Scripture is silent, let us keep the silence of God.

— Lester P. Bagley