The Nature, Purpose and Destiny of the Adversary (Part Five)

Satan’s eonian purpose and ultimate destiny

Having defended the view that “the Adversary” (tou diabolou) and “the Satan” (tou satanas) referred to in the Greek Scriptures should be understood as an intelligent, superhuman being who belongs to the same order of celestial spirits as Michael and Gabriel, I’ll close this study with a brief scriptural defense of what I believe his present, eonian purpose is, and what I believe his post-eonian destiny will involve.

With regard to Satan’s present eonian purpose and role, one of the following must be true: either (1) Satan was created by God with a sinful character/disposition or (2) he acquired a sinful character/disposition at some point subsequent to his creation. Most Christians hold to the latter view, and believe that Satan underwent a change in character at some point after he was created (at which point he went from being righteous and “pure in heart” to being sinful and wicked). However, I believe that Scripture reveals that no such change in Satan’s character/disposition ever took place.

In John 8:44 we read that Christ declared the following to a group of unbelieving Jews:

“You are of your father, the Adversary, and the desires of your father you are wanting to do. He was a man-killer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, for truth is not in him. Whenever he may be speaking a lie, he is speaking of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

And in 1 John 3:8 we find a similarly-worded description of the Adversary:

”Yet he who is doing sin is of the Adversary, for from the beginning is the Adversary sinning. For this was the Son of God manifested, that He should be annulling the acts of the Adversary.”

In response to what Christ declared and John wrote in these verses concerning the Adversary, it may be asked, “From the beginning of what?” Answer: From the beginning of the Adversary’s existence, when he was first created by God. When Christ used the same expression in reference to Adam and Eve (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6), the “beginning” in view refers to the time of their creation – i.e., the beginning of their existence. When used in reference to Satan, therefore, it is most natural to understand the “beginning” as a reference to the time of his creation – i.e., the beginning of his existence. The truth that God created Satan with a sinful and lying disposition is confirmed from what Christ affirmed to be the reason why the Adversary “does not stand in the truth.” According to Christ, Satan does not stand in the truth (and, it can be inferred, has never stood in the truth since the beginning of his existence) because “the truth is not in him.”

It’s not difficult to understand how Satan could’ve had a sinful and lying disposition from the time of his creation. But how could Satan have been a “man-killer” before there were human beings in existence to kill? First, it should be noted that a person could be considered a murderer or “man-killer” without actually killing anyone. In 1 John 3:15, for example, John taught that anyone who has hatred for his brother is a “man-killer.” Thus, being characterized as a “man-killer” has to do with the malicious, unloving disposition of a person’s heart, and does not require that one be responsible for having actually taken someone’s life. Second, if God created Satan to be an adversary to mankind who would naturally desire and seek our destruction and ruin, then it would be true to say that Satan was a “man-killer from the beginning.” For being a “man-killer” – i.e., being someone who hates and seeks the destruction and ruin of human beings – would be the purpose and role for which Satan was created by God (at least, with regard to the eons). Thus, Satan can be said to have been a man-killer from the beginning if, in accordance with God’s eonian purpose, he was created by God with a sinful and malicious disposition that is antagonistic and hostile towards human beings, and which caused him to seek their destruction and ruin as soon as they were created.  

Most Christians cannot accept even the possibility that God might have created Satan (or any other being) with a sinful disposition. For this, of course, would mean that God is ultimately and absolutely responsible for the entrance of sin into the universe through Satan. However, Scripture is clear that the sovereignty of God is absolute, and that his purpose is all-encompassing (click here for a defense of this important truth). As is clear from verses such as Isaiah 45:7 and 54:16, God is responsible for both good and evil circumstances:

“Maker of welfare and Creator of evil, I, Yahweh Elohim, make all of these things.”

“And I, I created the ruiner to harm.”

Since God is operating all in accord with the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:11), it follows that the entrance of sin and evil into the universe through Satan was an event that God intended to occur, and that the sinfulness of Satan is in accord with God’s sovereign purpose. Satan’s first sinful act after being created by God did not, therefore, take God by surprise or thwart his intention. Rather, the commencement (and continuation) of Satan’s sinful career was just as much in accord with God’s intention and purpose as was the creation of the heavens and the earth. When Satan, through the serpent, deluded Eve, he was doing exactly what God created him to do (and thus did exactly what God expected him to do). Does this mean that Satan’s actions at this time weren’t sinful? No. That which makes any volitional action sinful (or not) is the motive behind it. Thus, if the motive with which Satan did what he did when he deluded Eve in the garden was sinful, then Satan sinned when he deluded Eve. It’s that simple. The fact that Satan was created by God with a sinful disposition (and thus is doing exactly what he was created to do) does not change the fact that he was sinning when he deluded Eve and caused her to transgress God’s command (for a more in-depth defense of the truth that sin is still sin – and that God is still good – even though God is ultimately responsible for the sinfulness of his creatures, click the following link: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2015/03/sin-is-still-sin-and-god-is-still-good.html).

One expression that’s commonly used by Christians in defense of the view that God should not be considered responsible for the entrance of sin into the universe is that “God is not the author of sin.” The rhetorical force of this expression, however, is entirely dependent on its inherent ambiguity. If this statement is to be understood as meaning, “God did not create a being with a sinful disposition,” then it would simply be question-begging in nature (and – apart from any reason provided in defense of such a claim – can simply be dismissed as a mere unsubstantiated assumption). On the other hand, the statement “God is not the author of sin” could also be understood to mean, “God has never sinned.” If that’s how the expression should be understood, then I take no issue with it. I fully agree that God has never sinned (and indeed cannot sin). The only way that the sinlessness of God could possibly constitute an objection to the view that God created Satan with a sinful disposition (and thus willed that sin exist) is if it was a sin for God to have done this. But is this, in fact, the case? I see no good reason to believe that it is.

For God to intend that sin exist in the universe and for him to actually sin are two completely different things. There is no good reason to think that God couldn’t do the former without doing the latter. Again, that which makes any volitional action sinful (or not) is the motive behind it. Thus, if God had a wise and benevolent reason for bringing into existence a being whose disposition was such that he was incapable of not sinning (which would imply that God knew the creation of such a being would ultimately contribute to the maximization of his glory and the happiness of every created being), then God’s intention to create such a being could in no way be considered sinful. And this would be the case even if one didn’t understand how, exactly, God’s intention to create a sinful being could spring from a wise and benevolent motive (or how, exactly, such an act on God’s part could ultimately result in his being glorified, and in the happiness of all being maximized).

One reason why many Christians can’t accept the truth that God created Satan with a sinful disposition is because they believe that, because of Satan’s deceptive work in the world, billions of people are going to be “eternally lost.” Thus, if God himself were responsible for Satan’s sinful disposition (and, by extension, Satan’s sinful acts), then this would make God ultimately responsible for the eternally tragic fate that most Christians believe awaits those whom Satan has managed to deceive (and who end up dying in a deceived, unbelieving state). Consider the following argument (which reflects the reasoning of many Christians):

1. If those whom Satan has managed to deceive are going to be eternally lost, then it cannot be true that God (who is perfectly loving and just) is responsible for the sinful disposition of Satan.

2. Everyone whom Satan has managed to deceive is going to be eternally lost.

3. It cannot be true that God (who is perfectly loving and just) is responsible for the sinful disposition of Satan.

However, as I’ve argued in greater depth elsewhere on my blog (see, for example, the following article: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2020/01/are-unbelievers-destined-for.html), the second premise is unscriptural and false. Scripture doesn’t teach that anyone is going to be “eternally lost.” Not only does Scripture reveal that all humanity is going to be saved, but it’s further revealed that every other being in creation who is (or ever will be) in need of being subjected to Christ and reconciled to God is, in fact, going to be subjected to Christ and reconciled to God. And this necessarily includes Satan himself. In 1 Corinthians 15:25-28 we read the following:

For [Christ] must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him. Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.

Satan is thus destined to be subjected to Christ and to become part of the “all” in which God is ultimately going to be “All.” And, as Paul tells us in Colossians 1:17-20, this final state will involve being reconciled to God:

And He [Christ Jesus] is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first, for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.

Most Christians are, of course, just as opposed to the truth that Satan is ultimately going to be saved (and will thus cease to be sinful) as they are to the truth that he was created by God with a sinful disposition. They don’t want God to be responsible for Satan’s salvation any more than they want him to be responsible for Satan’s sinfulness. One verse that is sometimes appealed to by Christians in support of the view that Satan is never going to be saved is Hebrews 2:14 (where we’re told that Christ died so that he ”should be discarding him who has the might of death, that is, the Adversary…”). However, the word translated “discarding” in this verse (καταργέω, or “katargeo”) does not mean or imply that the Adversary is never going to be saved. In Luke 13:7, the same word katargeo was used to refer to a land being made unproductive. In Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the first three meanings of the word katargeo are given as follows:

1: to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative

1a: to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency

1b: to deprive of force, influence, power

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g2673

In light of these definitions, it can be said that Christ – by virtue of his sacrificial death (through which he acquired “all authority in heaven and on earth” and became “Lord of all”) – is ultimately going to deprive the Adversary of his influence and power, and cause him to “have no further efficiency.” This is in accord with what we read in 1 John 3:8: ”For this was the Son of God manifested, that He should be annulling the acts of the Adversary.”

Revelation 20:10 is, by far, the main “proof-text” to which most Christians will appeal in support of their belief that Satan will never be saved. Here is how this verse reads in the English Standard Version (which can be considered representative of how this verse reads in most English Bibles):

“…and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

However, as I’ve argued elsewhere, a more literal and accurate translation of the Greek expression that is translated as “forever and ever” in most English Bibles (eis tous aiónas tón aiónón) would be “for the eons of the eons.” Here is how Rev. 20:10 reads in the Concordant Literal New Testament:

And the Adversary who is deceiving them was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the wild beast and where the false prophet are also. And they shall be tormented day and night for the eons of the eons.

The time period expressed by the words “for the eons of the eons” in this verse is the same time period that’s in view in Eph. 2:7 (where Paul referred to “the oncoming eons” during which God shall “be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus”). These future “eons of the eons” (called such because they will be the greatest of all the eons) are the eons of the reign of Christ and the saints (Rev. 22:5). However, we know from Paul’s prophecy in 1 Cor. 15:22-28 that Christ’s reign (and thus the eons during which Christ and the saints shall be reigning) is eventually going to end. And this means that the span of time expressed by the words eis tous aiónas tón aiónón (“for the eons of the eons”) cannot be endless. 

Consider the following argument:

1. The Greek expression translated “for the eons of the eons” in Rev. 20:10 does not refer to a span of time that will extend beyond the span of time during which Christ shall be reigning.

2. According to what is revealed in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Christ is not going to be reigning over the kingdom for an endless duration of time (his reign is only “until” a certain point).

3. Thus, the span of time to which the expression “for the eons of the eons” refers cannot be endless in duration.

In light of these considerations, we can conclude that Satan’s period of torment in the lake of fire is not going to be “eternal.” Instead, it’s going to continue no further than the reign of Christ. And when Christ has subjected all to himself and delivered the kingdom to his God and Father, the being formerly known by his titles “the Adversary” and “Satan” will be reconciled to God and be part of the “all” in whom God is going to be “All.”

The Nature, Purpose and Destiny of the Adversary (Part Four)

Spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials

The being who is most commonly referred to in Scripture as “the Adversary” and “Satan” is not the only adversarial superhuman being in existence. This is evident from Rev. 12:7-9, where we read that the Adversary (who, as noted in part one, is symbolically represented in these verses as a “great dragon”) has his own “messengers” who will assist him in a battle against “Michael and his messengers”:  

And a battle occurred in heaven. Michael and his messengers battle with the dragon, and the dragon battles, and its messengers. And they are not strong enough for him, neither was their place still found in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent called Adversary and Satan, who is deceiving the whole inhabited earth. It was cast into the earth, and its messengers were cast with it.

Another passage in which it’s implied that Satan holds sway over an unknown number of other adversarial, superhuman beings is Ephesians 6:11-12. In these verses, Paul wrote the following:

“Put on the panoply of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary, for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.”

Evidently, the Adversary is the ruler of a hierarchy of other superhuman, adversarial beings that Paul went on to describe in v. 12 as ”the sovereignties,” “the authorities,” and “the world-mights of this darkness.” Paul was not, by his use of these terms, referring merely to abstract, impersonal and lifeless things. As with the other references to “sovereignties” and “authorities” in Scripture (e.g., Rom. 8:38; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; Col. 1:16; 2:15; 1 Pet. 3:22), what Paul referred to in Eph. 6:12 as “sovereignties” “authorities” and “world-mights” should be understood as titles belonging to living, personal beings who had varying degrees of influence over the lives of those to whom he wrote (or over the society to which they belonged). Just as Paul had in mind living, personal entities when he referred to “the superior authorities” in Rom. 13:1-7, so he had in mind living, personal entities in Eph. 6:12.

In Romans 13:1 and Titus 3:1 (cf. Luke 12:11), it’s evident that Paul had human beings in mind when he used the terms “sovereignties” and “authorities.” However, such is not the case in Eph. 6:12. For, in this verse, Paul contrasted the entities to which he referred (including “the Adversary”) with beings who are “blood and flesh.” Elsewhere in Scripture, the expression “blood and flesh” (or “flesh and blood”) refers to the mortal and corruptible nature of human beings (1 Cor. 15:50; Heb. 2:14), or – by extension – mortal humans themselves (Matt. 16:13-17; Gal. 1:16). Whether we understand the expression “blood and flesh” in Eph. 6:12 to mean “mortal human nature” or “mortal humans,” the implication of what Paul affirmed in this verse (i.e., that “it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh”) is clear: neither the Adversary nor the entities referred to in v. 12 are beings with a mortal, human nature. Rather, they belong to a different class, or order, of beings entirely.

This is confirmed by the fact that these entities are further described as “spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.” No human “sovereignties” or “authorities” could legitimately be described as “spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.” According to Paul’s usage of the term “spiritual” elsewhere, the only humans who can be considered “spiritual” are those who are being “taught by the spirit,” who are “receiving those things which are of the spirit of God,” and who are “walking in spirit” (see 1 Cor. 2:13-15; 3:1; 14:37; Gal. 6:1 [cf. Gal. 5:16]). In these and other verses, Paul contrasted humans who are “spiritual” with those who are “soulish” and “fleshly.” Thus, the adversarial entities with whom Paul believed the saints in the body of Christ have to “wrestle” (i.e., the “spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials”) can’t be considered “spiritual” in the same sense in which Paul described certain humans as “spiritual.” It simply wouldn’t make any sense. The only other sense in which living, intelligent beings who are “wicked” could be referred to as “spiritual” is if they belong to that order of non-human entities who are referred to elsewhere as “spirits” (see, for example, Luke 24:39; Heb. 1:14; 1 Pet. 3:19; Rev. 5:5 [cf. Rev. 8:2; Luke 1:19]).

The expression “among the celestials” confirms this understanding of the nature of the “spiritual forces of wickedness” referred to by Paul in Eph. 6:12. Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote that, after rousing Christ from among the dead, God seated him “at his right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named…” (Eph. 1:20-21). Here, the location in which Christ is presently located is said to be “among the celestials.” And where is Christ located at this time? Answer: At the right hand of God. And where is this? Here is Hebrews 8:1-5 and 9:23-24:

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man…Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”

Since Christ is located in what the author of Hebrews called “heaven itself,” we can conclude that to be “among the celestials” means being among those whose dwelling place is in heaven, and whose nature makes them suited for life in this heavenly, “extraterrestrial” realm (in contrast with those whose nature is merely terrestrial/earthly).[1]

In light of the above considerations, the beings referred to by Paul as “spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials” should best be understood as belonging to that order of superhuman, spiritual beings who are elsewhere referred to as the “host of heaven” (see 1 Kings 22:19; Neh. 9:6; Isaiah 24:21; Dan. 4:35; cf. Luke 2:13), and among whom are beings such as Michael and Gabriel. But is there any other scriptural evidence for the view that, among the celestial beings who constitute the “host of heaven,” some are wicked and antagonistic toward humanity? I think so. In fact, in one of the verses referenced above, I think this fact is clearly implied. In Isaiah 24:21-22 (ESV) we read the following:

On that day the Lord will punish

    the host of heaven, in heaven,

    and the kings of the earth, on the earth.

They will be gathered together

    as prisoners in a pit;

they will be shut up in a prison,

    and after many days they will be punished.

In these verses we find “the host of heaven, in heaven” distinguished from “the kings of the earth, on the earth.” However, both of these groups are going to be “punished” (or “called to account,” CVOT) in the day of the Lord – i.e., during that future period of judgment when God defeats the enemies of Israel and restores the kingdom to his covenant people (Isaiah 24:23; cf. chapters 25-27).

In other articles on my blog, I’ve shared my view that, in Psalm 82, Asaph had in view superhuman, heavenly beings to whom God has given a certain degree of authority over the nations of the earth (and who are using their authority to promote – rather than prevent – injustice on the earth). This chapter reads as follows in the English Standard Version: 

God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:  “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!

It’s evident that the members of this “divine council” who we find being addressed by Yahweh are not righteous beings. Rather than making sure that the weak, fatherless, afflicted, destitute and needy are taken care of, these beings were instead showing “partiality to the wicked” and allowing (or even enabling) the wicked to prosper and take advantage of those less powerful than they. They are thus rebuked by Yahweh for their unjust administration, and for the misuse of the authority that God had given them. The final verse of this Psalm is, I believe, especially telling: ”Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!” This plea and expectation of Asaph implies that it is “all the nations” which were being (and continue to be) negatively influenced by the wicked “gods” and “sons of the Most High” (and that this unjust state of affairs will be made right when God finally intervenes and judges the earth). But what is the nature of these “gods?”

The very fact that the members of the “divine council” referred to in Psalm 82 are said to be both “gods” (or “elohim”) and “sons of the Most High” suggests that they’re not human beings. Significantly, the beings referred to in Deut. 32:43 and Psalm 8:4-6 as “the gods” are, in the letter to the Hebrews, referred to as “the angels” (Heb. 1:6; 2:7, 9). And in this letter, “the angels” (or “the messengers”) to which the author referred should be understood as belonging to a different (and higher) order of beings than mortal humans. For other references to the superhuman beings referred to as “the gods” in Psalm 82, see Exodus 15:11; Deut. 3:24; 10:17 (cf. Dan. 2:47; 11:36); 1 Kings 8:23; Psalm 86:8; 95:3, 6-7; 96:4; 97:9; 135:5; 136:2. [2]

Psalm 89:5-7 confirms this understanding by locating the “divine council” referred to in Psalm 82 in “the heavens” (rather than on the earth):

“Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?”

If the “gods” being addressed by Yahweh in Psalm 82 are non-human, heavenly beings (which seems reasonable, especially in light of Psalm 89:5-7), then this Psalm can be understood as revealing that these beings had been given a certain degree of authority over the nations of the earth (and were using their authority in a way that was displeasing to God). That God had allotted the nations of the earth to certain heavenly beings (the “sons of God”) is, arguably, revealed in Deuteronomy 32:8-9 as well. In the English Standard Version, these verses read as follows: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage” (other translations that read “sons of God” – or something similar – in Deut. 32:8 are the New American Bible (Revised Edition), the New Revised Standard Version and the Concordant Version of the Old Testament).[3] For other occurrences of the expression “the sons of God,” see Gen. 6:1-2, Job 1:6 and Job 38:7. As argued in the last installment of this study, I think it’s pretty clear that the “sons of God” referred to in Job are non-human, celestial beings (for a concise defense of the view that the “sons of God” referred to in Genesis 6 should be understood as celestial beings as well, I recommend the following article by Chuck Missler: http://www.khouse.org/articles/1997/110/).

In the tenth chapter of the book of Daniel we find further confirmation that there are, in fact, wicked celestial beings who are exercising their authority in a way that is antagonistic toward the saints on earth. In Daniel 10:12-14 and 10:20-21, we read the following:

“Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The chief of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the first chiefs, came to help me, for I was left there with the chief of the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

“Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the chief of the kingdom of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the chief of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your chief.”

The heavenly messenger who spoke the words we find recorded in these passages was likely Gabriel (see Daniel 8:16; 9:21). And based on what this messenger declared to Daniel, we can conclude that there are several “chiefs” among the celestial beings who preside over the nations of the earth (which is in accord with what we read in Psalm 82 concerning the unjust “elohim”). And among these celestial “chiefs” is Michael (who, in Dan. 10:21, is referred to as “[Daniel’s] chief,” and later in Dan. 12:1 as “the great chief who is standing over the sons of [Daniel’s] people”).

While Michael (who is the “chief” of Daniel’s people, Israel) is clearly on the side of God and the saints among God’s covenant people, there are others (e.g., the “chief of the kingdom of Persia”) who are, evidently, antagonistic toward them. And the fact that Gabriel needed help from Michael after being “withstood” by the “chief of the kingdom of Persia” for three weeks indicates that this “chief” was at least as powerful as Gabriel himself (a fact which undermines any possible objection that these “chiefs” might have been merely human rulers).

Keeping the above verses from Daniel 10 in mind, let’s now consider Ephesians 2:1-2. In these verses read the following:

“And you, being dead to your offenses and sins, in which once you walked, in accord with the eon of this world, in accord with the chief of the jurisdiction of the air, the spirit now operating in the sons of stubbornness…”

The fact that Paul referred to the Adversary as “the chief of the jurisdiction of the air” in Eph. 2:2 is, I believe, significant. In the Septuagint, the term translated “chief” in Eph. 2:2 (archon) was used to translate the Hebrew term translated “chief” (or “prince”) in the above verses from Daniel 10 and 12. Paul was likely very familiar with this Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and it’s possible that he had these verses from Daniel in mind when he used the expression “the chief of the jurisdiction of the air” in Eph. 2:2. In any case, if there are any verses from the Hebrew Scriptures that can inform our understanding of what Paul wrote in Eph. 2:2, it’s the verses from Daniel 10 and 12 in which certain superhuman “chiefs” are in view. It is, therefore, reasonable to understand the spiritual entity referred to by Paul as “the chief of the jurisdiction of the air” as the same sort of superhuman being as the chief of Daniel’s people (Michael) or the chief of the kingdom of Persia.

Unlike these other “chiefs” (who each have jurisdiction over a particular nation or kingdom of the earth), the jurisdiction of the chief to whom Paul referred in Eph. 2:2 is said to be “the air.” This suggests that the authority of this chief is not limited to any one nation or kingdom on the earth. Rather, like the air that surrounds the earth, the jurisdiction of the chief referred to in Eph. 2:2 is worldwide in scope. The worldwide scope of the Adversary’s jurisdiction is in accord with the fact that (as noted in part two of this study) he was able to offer Christ ”all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

Some believe that, since the chief of the jurisdiction of the air is referred to as a “spirit,” he should be understood as a mental disposition, attitude or mindset that certain persons have. While it’s true that the Hebrew and Greek words translated “spirit” (ruach and pneuma, respectively) can, in certain contexts, be understood to denote a certain mental disposition, feeling or attitude (e.g., a “spirit of fear” or a “spirit of jealousy”), it’s also true that the terms can denote intelligent, superhuman beings (such as the kind of beings that Michael and Gabriel are). For example, in 2 Chron. 18:20, a member of the heavenly council is referred to as “a spirit,” and in Hebrews 1:14 all of the non-human messengers with whom Christ is contrasted throughout this chapter are referred to as “spirits.” We also read in Rev. 5:5 that the “seven torches of fire” which John saw “burning before the throne” represent “the seven spirits of God.” These “seven spirits of God” who were represented as torches of fire burning before God’s throne are later referred as “the seven messengers who stand before God” (concerning the possible identity of one of these seven spirits, see Luke 1:19).

In 2 Pet. 2:4-5 and Jude 6, certain beings are referred to as “sinning messengers” who “kept not their own sovereignty” but left “their own habitation.” As a result of their sin, we’re told that these messengers were thrust into “the gloomy caverns of Tartarus” and given up “to be kept for chastening judging” (or, as Jude says, these messengers are being “kept in imperceptible bonds under gloom for the judging of the great day”). That these “sinning messengers” should be understood as belonging to the same order of non-human beings as the messengers referred to in Hebrews 1:14 (who, again, are referred to as “spirits”) is further evident from 1 Pet. 3:19-20, where they’re referred to as “the spirits in jail” who were “once stubborn, when the patience of God awaited in the days of Noah…”

We thus have just as much reason to believe that the spirit who Paul referred to as “the chief of the jurisdiction of the air” and “the Adversary” is a living, personal being as we have reason to believe that the messengers Gabriel and Michael are living, personal beings.

Part five: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-nature-purpose-and-destiny-of_1.html

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[1] Some may object that, in Eph. 2:5-6, we’re told that God “vivifies us together in Christ…and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus…” However, Paul was simply using the figure of speech “prolepsis” here (according to which that which is certain to happen is spoken of as if it had already taken place, or was already taking place). Just as no member of the body of Christ has been vivified or roused yet, so our being seated together among the celestials is also a future reality.

[2] In many Bibles, Psalm 96:5 says that all the elohim of the nations “are idols.” Based on this translation, some have argued that the elohim of the nations must not be real, living beings who were created by God. However, the term sometimes translated “idols” in Psalm 96:5 (אלילים) literally means “useless things” or “insufficient things.” To translate this term as “idols” obscures the rhetorical force of the verse. The Psalmist was making a play on words here; the term looks and sounds very similar to the Hebrew word אלהים (elohim or “gods”), but the elohim of the nations are powerless compared to Yahweh (who, in contrast with the “useless” elohim of the nations, “made the heavens”).

That these “elohim” were not merely imagined, non-existent beings is evident from Deut. 32:17, where we read the following: “They sacrificed to demons, not Eloah, to elohim–they had not known them before–to new ones that came from nearby…” Compare this verse with 1 Cor. 10:19-20, where Paul identified the elohim referred to in Deut. 32:17 (and which were commonly represented by idols) as demons. In light of this connection, the elohim of the nations should be understood as belonging to that category of wicked spiritual beings among the celestials referred to by Paul in Eph. 6:12.

[3] Some Hebrew manuscripts have “according to the number of the sons of Israel” rather than “according to the number of the sons of God,” and the majority of English translations – starting with the King James Version – have opted for this reading (with many still including the alternate reading in a footnote). However, this textual variant is almost certainly a corruption of the original text. For a defense of the “sons of God” reading, I recommend the following article by Michael Heiser: “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God” (see also http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/Deuteronomy32OTWorldview.pdf).

The Nature, Purpose and Destiny of the Adversary (Part Three)

“The Satan”

Although Matthew referred to the being by whom Christ was tried in the wilderness as “the Adversary” (as well as “the trier”), Christ himself addressed this individual as “Satan” (Matt. 4:10). This is also how he’s referred to in Mark’s summarized account of Jesus’ trial in the wilderness: “And He was in the wilderness forty days, undergoing trial by Satan, and was with the wild beasts. And messengers waited on Him” (Mark 1:13). And as was noted in the introduction of this study, “Satan” is one of the titles by which the being symbolically represented by “the great dragon” is called (Rev. 12:.9; 20:2)

The Greek expression translated “Satan” in these verses is τοῦ Σατανᾶς. Transliterated into English, this expression would read “tou Satanas” (literally, “the Satan”; the Greek article “tou” corresponds to the English definite article “the”). Of the 33 occurrences of the term “Satanas” in the Greek Scriptures, 28 include the use of the definite article.  Significantly (and in contrast with the above examples), when Christ used the term “Satan” in his rebuke of Peter (Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33), the definite article was not used.

Here are a few more examples of verses in which the term “Satan” occurs with the use of the definite article:

Matthew 12:25-26

“Every kingdom parted against itself is being desolated, and every city or house parted against itself shall not stand. And if the Satan is casting out the Satan, he is parted against himself. How, then, shall his kingdom stand?”

Luke 13:16

“Now this woman – being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan binds, lo! eighteen years – must she not be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Luke 22:31-32

“Now the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon, lo! Satan claims you men, to sift you as grain. Yet I besought concerning you, that your faith may not be defaulting.’”

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“For such are false apostles, fraudulent workers, being transfigured into apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light. It is no great thing, then, if his servants also are being transfigured as dispensers of righteousness -- whose consummation shall be according to their acts.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

“…then will be unveiled the lawless one (whom the Lord Jesus will dispatch with the spirit of His mouth and will discard by the advent of His presence), whose presence is in accord with the operation of Satan, with all power and signs and false miracles and with every seduction of injustice among those who are perishing…”

Rev. 20:7-8

“And whenever the thousand years should be finished, Satan will be loosed out of his jail. And he will be coming out to deceive all the nations which are in the four corners of the earth...”

The Greek term translated “Satan” is actually a transliteration of the Hebrew noun שָׂטָן (śāṭān), meaning “adversary” or “one who opposes/resists” (https://biblehub.com/greek/4567.htm). Although there are a number of verses in the Hebrew Scriptures in which the term “satan” occurs, the only verses in which it occurs with the use of the definite article are in Job 1-2 and Zechariah 3:1-2. In every other occurrence of this term in the Hebrew Scriptures, the definite article is not used.

Significantly, in the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (i.e., the Septuagint, or “LXX”), every occurrence of the Hebrew expression “haś·śā·ṭān” (“the Satan”) in Job 1-2 and Zech. 3:1-2 is translated as τοῦ διαβόλου (or “tou diabolou”). In fact, the term “diabolos” (or some word derived from the verb “diaballó”) was almost exclusively used to translate the Hebrew term “satan” with or without the definite article (the only exceptions to this are, as far as I can tell, found in 1 Kings 11:14 and 11:25, where the Greek transliteration “satanas” is used). The translators’ preference for using “diabolou” in the place of the Hebrew “satan” indicates that they understood these expressions to be basically equivalent in meaning. And since the Hebrew expression translated “Satan” (or “the Satan”) can be understood to mean “the Adversary,” it follows that the expression “tou diabolou” communicates the same basic idea.

To better appreciate the significance of the use of the definite article in Job 1-2 and Zech. 3:1-2, let’s now consider a verse in which the Hebrew term “satan” appears without the definite article. Here is how 1 Chronicles 21:1 reads in the NET (New English Translation): “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had.” Concerning the expression, “an adversary,” the NET provides us with the following note:

“The Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan) can refer to an adversary in general or Satan in particular. There is no article accompanying the term here, which suggests it should be understood generally (cf. NAB “a satan”).

The NET’s third footnote for this verse provides us with a more detailed explanation for the translation, “an adversary opposed Israel”:

“The parallel text in 2 Sam 24:1 says, “The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel and he incited David against them, saying: ‘Go, count Israel and Judah!’“ The version of the incident in the Book of 2 Samuel gives an underlying theological perspective, while the Chronicler simply describes what happened from a human perspective. Many interpreters and translations render the Hebrew שָׂטָן as a proper name here, “Satan” (NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). However, the Hebrew term שָׂטָן, which means “adversary,” is used here without the article. Elsewhere when it appears without the article, it refers to a personal or national adversary in the human sphere, the lone exception being Num 22:22, 32, where the angel of the Lord assumes the role of an adversary to Balaam. When referring elsewhere to the spiritual entity known in the NT as Satan, the noun has the article and is used as a title, “the Adversary” (see Job 1:6-9, 12; 2:1-4, 6-7; Zech 3:1-2). In light of usage elsewhere the adversary in 1 Chr 21:1 is likely a human enemy, probably a nearby nation whose hostility against Israel pressured David into numbering the people so he could assess his military strength. For compelling linguistic and literary arguments against taking the noun as a proper name here, see S. Japhet, I & II Chronicles (OTL), 374-75.”

In light of the above remarks, let’s now consider those verses in the Hebrew Scriptures in which the word “satan” occurs with the use of the definite article (i.e., Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7 and Zech. 3:1-2). We’ll start with Zech. 3:1-2 (I’ll include verses 3-5 as well):

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And Yahweh said to Satan, “Yahweh rebuke you, O Satan! Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of Yahweh was standing by.

In these verses, the individual who we’re told was standing at Joshua’s right hand to accuse him is referred to as הַשָּׂטָ֖ן or “haś·śā·ṭān” (which, again, is literally “the Satan” or “the Adversary”). Since Joshua, the angel of Yahweh and Yahweh himself should all be understood as conscious, intelligent beings (or “persons”), it’s reasonable to understand the individual referred to as “(the) Satan” in verses 1-2 as a conscious, intelligent being as well. But what else can be said concerning the nature of this adversarial being? Was he simply another human being like Joshua, the high priest? Or, is he to be understood as belonging to the same order of superhuman, celestial beings to which the angel of Yahweh belongs? If – as I think is reasonable – the “Satan” referred to in Zech. 3:1-2 is the same adversarial being referred to in Rev. 12:10 as ”the accuser of our brethren…who was accusing them before our God day and night,” then we can conclude that “the Satan” of Zech. 3:1-2 is, in fact, a superhuman being.

That this understanding of the nature of “the Satan” referred to in Zech. 3:1-2 is correct is, I think, confirmed from the only other occurrences of the expression “the Satan” in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-7 we read the following:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them. Yahweh said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered Yahweh and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them to present himself before Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered Yahweh and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

We have no good reason to believe that the man referred to as Job in these passages wasn’t a real, historical figure. In both James 5:11 and Ezekiel 14:, 20, Job is referred to as if he actually existed (in Ezekiel 14, God himself referred to Job as if he was just as much a real and historical figure as Daniel and Noah). But what about the individual who is repeatedly referred to in the above passages as הַשָּׂטָ֖ן or “haś·śā·ṭān” (which, again, is literally “the Satan” or “the Adversary”), and with whom we’re told Yahweh had an exchange (unbeknownst to Job)? As is the case with the existence of Job, there is no good reason to deny that this individual really existed in Job’s day. But what conclusions can we draw concerning the nature of this adversarial being (besides the obvious fact that he has an adversarial role and/or nature)? 

The fact that “the Satan” referred to in these chapters is said to have been present among “the sons of God” while they were presenting themselves before Yahweh can, I believe, tell us a great deal about the nature of this particular individual. For, in the broader context of Job, the expression “sons of God” undoubtedly refers to superhuman, heaven-dwelling beings. In Job 38:4-7, we read that Yahweh asked Job the following rhetorical questions:

“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?”

From these verses it’s evident that the beings referred to by Yahweh as “the sons of God” were present when God “laid the foundation of the earth.” When we let these verses inform our understanding of the nature of the “sons of God” referred to in Job 1-2, we can conclude that these beings weren’t (and aren’t) human. Rather, they’re members of that order of superhuman, celestial beings to which Michael and Gabriel belong. This means that the event referred to in Job 1:6 and 2:1 (which involved the sons of God presenting themselves before Yahweh) should be understood as the same sort of heavenly assembly as that described in 2 Chron. 18:19-21 (where the “host of heaven” appear before Yahweh to discuss the case of Ahab). And this would, of course, mean that “the Satan” referred to in Job 1-2 belongs to this same general class of non-human, heavenly beings. It’s also worth noting that what Satan said he was doing prior to presenting himself before Yahweh (i.e., “going to and fro in the land, and from walking up and down on it”) is strikingly similar to what, in Zech. 1:7-11, we’re told certain heavenly beings were commissioned by Yahweh to do (i.e., “walk up and down in the land”).

What further supports this understanding of the nature of “the Satan” of Job 1-2 is the remarkable degree of power manifested in the events he brought about in his attempt to get Job to curse God. Notice that, in Job 1:11, the Satan first tells Yahweh that if he (Yahweh) were to use his “hand” (or power) to “touch” all that Job had, Job would curse God to his face. But then, we’re told that Yahweh permits Satan to use his (Satan’s) “hand,” or power, to do this instead (“Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand”). After the Satan departs from God’s presence, we then read in verses 13-19 that the following tragic events occur: the Sabeans steal Job’s oxen and donkeys and strike down the servants, the “fire of God” falls from heaven and burns up the sheep and the servants and consumes them, the Chaldeans raid Job’s camels and strike down the servants, and all of Job’s children are killed when “a great wind” destroys the house of Job’s oldest son (in which all of his sons and daughters were present).

The clear implication of what we read in these verses is that, just as Satan used his power to strike Job “with loathsome sores” (2:7), so Satan used his power to bring about the devastating events described in Job 1:13-19. It’s also implied that the only reason Satan wasn’t able to afflict Job before being given permission by God to do so was because Job was, at that time, under God’s special protection (as indicated by the words, ”Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?”).

Based on all of the above considerations, I think we have good reason to believe (and no good reason to deny) that “the Satan” referred to in the first two chapters of Job is an intelligent, self-aware entity who belongs to the same general order of created, superhuman beings referred to elsewhere as the “host of heaven.” The Satan of Job 1-2 (and Zechariah 3:1-2) is, in other words, the same kind of celestial, superhuman being as Michael or Gabriel (or the unnamed being referred to in Zech. 3:1-5 as “the angel of Yahweh”).

So what are the implications of this? Well, insofar as it’s reasonable to believe that “the Satan” (haś·śā·ṭān) of Job 1-2 and Zech. 3:1-2 is the same being as “the Satan” of the Greek Scriptures (i.e., the being referred to as “Satanas,” with the definite article), then it’s reasonable to believe that “the Satan” of the Greek Scriptures is a superhuman celestial being who belongs to the same order of beings constituting the “host of heaven” (it’s also worth keeping in mind that, in the LXX, the title “haś·śā·ṭān” is always translated as “tou diabolou” – i.e., “the devil” or “the Adversary”). And in light of the conclusion at which we arrived in the last installment of this study, it’s reasonable to believe that “the Adversary” referred to throughout the Greek Scriptures is the same superhuman being referred to as “the Satan” in Job 1-2 and Zech. 3:1-2. That is, “the Satan” referred to in the verses quoted at the beginning of this installment of our study is the same being whom God allowed to afflict Job, and who Zechariah saw standing at Joshua’s right hand to accuse him.

To test this view, let’s consider two verses from Luke’s Gospel Account in which we find references to “the Satan” (tou Satanas). In Luke 13:16 we read that Christ declared the following:

“Now this woman – being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan binds, lo! eighteen years – must she not be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

In this verse, the “Satan” referred to by Christ was clearly understood by Christ to be in some sense responsible for the chronic infirmity of the woman whom he healed on the Sabbath. Similarly, we read in Acts 10:38 that Peter also believed that this being (whom he referred to as “the Adversary”) was in some way responsible for the afflictions and physical disorders of those whom Christ healed during his earthly ministry: 

“Jesus from Nazareth, as God anoints Him with holy spirit and power, Who passed through as a benefactor and healer of all those who are tyrannized over by the Adversary, for God was with Him.”

Could the individual referred to in these verses as “(the) Satan” and “the Adversary” have been a human being (or a group of human beings)? No. There is no evidence that any humans were in any way responsible for all of the various afflictions and diseases of those who were healed by Christ during his earthly ministry. However, we do know that the “Satan” referred to in Job 1-2 had the power to afflict humans with disease (and, as noted earlier, the implication of what we read in Job 1:9-10 is that the only reason Satan wasn’t able to afflict Job without God’s permission is because Job was, at that time, under God’s special protection). Thus, apart from any compelling evidence to the contrary, it’s reasonable to conclude that the “Satan” whom Christ believed was responsible for the chronic disease of the woman he healed on the Sabbath (and whom Peter believed was responsible for the afflictions and physical disorders of those whom Christ healed throughout his earthly ministry) was the same “Satan” who was permitted by God to afflict Job.

In further support of this understanding of the “Satan” referred to by Christ in Luke 13:16 are Christ’s words in Luke 22:31-32. There, we read that Christ declared the following to Peter:

“Simon, Simon, lo! Satan claims you men, to sift you as grain. Yet I besought concerning you, that your faith may not be defaulting.”

The implication of these words of Christ to Peter is that Satan wanted to expose the weakness of Peter’s faith with a trial that would “sift [him] as grain” (and which would result in the “defaulting” of his faith in Christ). This is strikingly similar to what took place in the life of Job (when “the Satan” similarly sought to expose what he believed to be the superficiality of Job’s loyalty to, and love for, God). Thus, apart from any compelling evidence to the contrary, it’s reasonable to conclude that the Satan who we’re told “claimed” the disciples and desired to “sift” Peter “as grain” (and thereby cause his faith to “be defaulting”) is the same Satan who, in an attempt to expose Job’s faith in God as something that depended entirely on the blessings he was receiving from God’s hand, was permitted to bring adversity into Job’s life.

Part four: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-nature-purpose-and-destiny-of_6.html