ORIGIN MYTHS & LEGENDS [18b]
He is called Satan, Lucifer, the Devil. And his name conjures up horrifying images of a horned demon whose sole purpose is to corrupt and destroy mankind.
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“Satan is portrayed as the enemy of God. Trying to destroy good people, to make good people bad and to keep them from being saved, keep them from going to Heaven so that they can go to hell, where he’s in charge.” – Henry Ansgar Kelly, Ph.D. (Author, Satan, a Biography) |
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“Satan has become the catchall for the embodiment of evil. When we think of Satan, I think there are two different ways that our brains can go. The first is this almost comical character that rules over the land of flames, the red guy with the horns and the pitchfork. But then, on the darker side, I think that Satan has become this very, very terrifying, frightening embodiment of evil who causes man to do terrible things, who is the source of torture and death and destruction.” – Kathleen McGowan Coppens (Author/Researcher), |
But are these perceptions of Satan correct? Is he really the master of all things evil in the Universe?
Lakeland, Florida. 2012. Hundreds of faithful followers congregate at the Ignited Church to witness the removal of demons from those who believe they’re possessed by the Devil.
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“The Devil wants to get even. How else to hurt the heart of God to the greatest possible extent but to harm the beloved of his creation? The height of his creation. The thing that God loves most: humanity, human beings, me, you, every single person on Earth.” – Rev. Bob Larson (Exorcist) |
In the ritual known as exorcism, a priest or minister performs a sacred rite in order to confront Satan and drive him back to hell. It is a ceremony that dates back hundreds and perhaps thousands of years and is considered quite controversial, even within the Catholic Church.
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“When I’m battling Satan, there are a lot of mind games going on and it’s a bit of a chess match. So, I have to be mentally and spiritually prepared for that.” – Rev. Bob Larson (Exorcist) |
But just who or what is Satan? And why is he determined to corrupt all of humanity? Perhaps the answers can be found in the myths and legends that describe Satan’s ancient origins.
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“In the beginning, Satan was one of the angels that was created by God before the physical Universe was created. And there was basically a sphere of angels around God, worshiping God. And Satan at that time was Lucifer or the Day Star. He was the brightest of the angels.” – Adam Blai (Religious Demonologist) |
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“Satan is actually one of the archangels. He is one of the high angels, one of the highest ranking, one of the most beautiful, the most beloved. He is beloved of God. He is a bringer of light.” – Kathleen McGowan Coppens (Author/Researcher), |
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“When God created man in his image, he ordered all the angels to worship his image in this man. And Satan refused. He says, “Look, they’re mud people. We’re made out of fire.” And I’m not going to do it.” And so he gets kicked out.” – Henry Ansgar Kelly, Ph.D. (Author, Satan, a Biography) |
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“He grew arrogant. He began to challenge God. And, for this arrogance, he lost his heavenly position. He was thrown out of the heavens and fell.” – Jonathan Young, Ph.D. |
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“When Lucifer was cast down, it was instant and abrupt and total. And he was cast down to Earth to roam here until the end of time.” – Adam Blai (Religious Demonologist) |
Although few references are made to Satan in the Hebrew testament, he is depicted as an opposer or accuser and is generally acknowledged to have been the inspiration for the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
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“One of the great stories in the Bible is Adam and Eve in the garden. You know, we have this picture of a beautiful garden scene and Adam and Eve in their innocence just enjoying God and each other in this beautiful creation. And all of a sudden enters Satan in the form of a snake. And he finds Eve close to the one thing, the one law God gave mankind.” – Pastor Brett Peterson (President, Coastland University) |
According to the Book of Genesis, God placed two trees in the garden the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge and forbade Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
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“Satan convinces Eve to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And she convinces Adam to do that. And, of course, we see that suddenly their whole personality changes.” – Patrick Cooke (Founder, The Bible UFO Connection) |
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“Prior to eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were sinless. It means that the one law that God gave them they had not disobeyed. Satan himself decided that if he could get them to break that one law, then sin would enter mankind. And when Adam ate, all mankind from that point on has been selfish, prideful and were genetically given the ability and, really, the desire to rebel against authority and thus obtain the knowledge of good and evil.” – Pastor Brett Peterson (President, Coastland University) |
But is this story of Adam and Eve really a fanciful account of how evil entered the world? Or might there be another, even more profound explanation?
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“You can make a case that Eve actually wants to mature. She wants to grow up. God wants to keep us in a state of perpetual innocence, infantility perhaps. Eve decides that knowing everything she can know about this world into which she has been placed is more important even than obeying a particular command of God. The serpent enables her.” – Kenneth L. Hanson, Ph.D. |
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“Satan’s wanting to give humanity all this incredible wisdom that maybe can even elevate humankind to the level of gods. But the Old Testament God Yahweh is saying, “Not so fast. Humankind aren’t perhaps “worthy of this knowledge.” And this becomes then the battle between God and Satan.” – William Henry (Author / Investigative Mythologist), |
Was the serpent’s temptation of Adam and Eve really a case of sabotage? Was it a deliberate effort to seduce mankind into sinning against its Creator? Or might Satan’s real purpose have been to encourage mankind to share the fruits of God’s wisdom? Ancient Astronaut Theorists believe more clues may lie in another book of the Hebrew testament.
Southern Israel. This dry, sun-blasted desert was once the realm of Edom an ancient kingdom that some researchers believe was home to the biblical figure, Job. According to the Hebrew Bible, Job was among the wealthiest men in the kingdom, and owned enormous herds of cattle, sheep and camels. He was also among the most righteous, making sacrifices to the Almighty God to atone for his transgressions and the sins of his family.
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“In the story of Job, Satan is part of the heavenly council of angels. And then the council meets, and God is at the council meeting. And basically, he and Satan have a discussion.” – Rev. Barry H. Downing |
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“And God says, “You know, look at Job. He’s very faithful.” And Satan, in charge of quality control, says, “Well, of course. You know, you give him everything. ‘What do you expect?’” – Fr. William J. Fulco, Ph.D. |
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“And Satan actually challenges God, and says, “If Job were tempted, if he no longer had all of these wonderful things that God had given to him, what happens to “him then?” Satan convinces God that Job should be tested to see if he is really all that good. And this is where Satan becomes the first adversary, the first tester of humans.” – Kathleen McGowan Coppens (Author/Researcher), |
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“So, it’s interesting in this story. Satan is actually working with God as a kind of member of his staff or his heavenly counsel.” – Jonathan Young, Ph.D. |
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“The divine council of God is very interesting, because we learn that it is composed of various angelic beings, including Satan. And the idea is that these are advanced beings who carry out God’s orders and God’s wishes from the commands of this council. It really seems like we’re seeing some kind of divine bureaucracy, something like you would see in a corporate or a governmental bureaucracy.” – William Henry (Author / Investigative Mythologist), |
Could our notion of Satan as an evil force be incorrect? Ancient Astronaut Theorists believe there is much more to the story and that the answer may be found, not only in the pages of the Hebrew Bible, but on ancient scrolls. Scrolls whose origins date back thousands of years.
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References:
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