SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONAL EVIL

SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN

SATAN IS A VERY DIFFICULT SUBJECT
1. The OT does not reveal an arch enemy to the good, but a servant of YHWH who offers mankind an alternative and accuses mankind of unrighteousness (A. B. Davidson, A Theology of the OT, pp. 300-306).
2. The concept of a personal arch enemy of God developed in inter-biblical (non-canonical) literature under the influence of Persian religion (Zoroastrianism). This, in turn, greatly influenced rabbinical Judaism (see III. below).
3. The NT develops the OT themes in surprisingly stark, but selective, categories.
  If one approaches the study of evil from the perspective of biblical theology (each book or author or genre studied and outlined separately) then very different views of personal evil are revealed.
  If, however, one approaches the study of evil from a non-biblical or extra-biblical approach of world religions or eastern religions then much of the NT development is foreshadowed in Persian dualism and Greco-Roman spiritism.
  If one is presuppositionally committed to the divine authority of Scripture (as I am!), then the NT development must be seen as progressive revelation. Christians must guard against allowing Jewish folklore or English literature (i.e., Dante, Milton) to further clarify the concept. There is certainly mystery and ambiguity in this area of revelation. God has chosen not to reveal all aspects of evil, its origin (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LUCIFER), its purpose, but Scripture has revealed its reality and defeat!
SATAN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the OT the term "Satan" (BDB 966, KB 1317) or "accuser" seems to relate to three separate groups.
1. human accusers (1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:22; 1 Kgs. 5:4; 11:14,23,25; Ps. 109:6,20,29)
2. angelic accusers (Num. 22:22-23; Zech. 3:1)
  1. the Angel of the Lord ‒ Num. 22:22-23
  2. Satan ‒ 1 Chr. 21:1; Job 1-2; Zech. 3:1
3. demonic (possibly Satan himself) accusers (1 Kgs. 22:21; Zech. 13:2)
Only later in the intertestamental period is the serpent of Genesis 3 identified with
1. Satan (cf. Book of Wisdom 2:23-24; II Enoch 31:3), and even later does this become a rabbinical option (cf. Sot 9b and Sanh. 29a). The "sons of God" of Genesis 6 ( SPECIAL TOPIC: SONS OF GOD IN GENESIS 6) become the evil angels in I Enoch 54:6. They become the origin of evil in rabbinical theology (see Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah).
  I mention this, not to assert its theological accuracy, but to show its development. In the NT these OT activities are attributed to angelic, personified evil (i.e., Satan) in 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS).
2. I have come to believe that Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 38 do not refer to Satan, but are Garden of Eden imagery (cf. Ezekiel 31) applied to the King of Tyre and the King of Babylon. See my full exegetical notes online at these OT texts.
Origins of personified evil
1. The origin of personified evil is difficult or impossible (depending on your point of view) to determine from the OT. One reason for this is Israel's strong monotheism (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM, cf. Deut. 6:4-6; 1 Kgs. 22:20-22; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 45:7; Amos 3:6). All causality was attributed to YHWH to demonstrate His uniqueness and primacy (cf. Isa. 43:11; 44:6,8,24; 45:5-6,14,18,21,22; see SPECIAL TOPIC: ONE CAUSALITY).
2. Sources of possible information are
  1. Job 1-2, where Satan is one of the "sons of God" (i.e., angels)
  2. Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28, where prideful near eastern kings (Babylon and Tyre) are used to illustrate the pride of Satan (cf. 1 Tim. 3:6).
  3. I have mixed emotions about this approach. Ezekiel uses Garden of Eden imagery not only of the king of Tyre as Satan (cf. Ezek. 28:12-16), but also for the king of Egypt as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Ezekiel 31). However, Isaiah 14, particularly vv. 12-14, seems to describe an arrogant revolt through pride. If God wanted to reveal to us the specific nature and origin of Satan this is a very oblique way and place to do it. We must guard against the trend of systematic theology of taking small, ambiguous parts of different testaments, authors, books, and genres and combining them as pieces of one divine puzzle.
SATAN IN THE RABBINICAL MIDRASH
Alfred Edersheim (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. 2, appendices XIII [pp. 748-763] and XVI [pp. 770-776]) says that rabbinical Judaism has been overly influenced by Persian dualism and demonic speculation (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS) The rabbis are not a good source for truth in this area. Jesus radically diverges from the teachings of the Synagogue. I think that the rabbinical concept of angelic mediation (cf. Acts 7:53) and opposition in the giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai (i.e., Exodus 19-20) opened the door to the concept of an arch-angelic enemy of YHWH as well as mankind. There were two high gods of Iranian dualism (Zoroastrianism).
1. Ahura Mazda, later called Ohrmazd, who was the creator god, the good god
2. Angra Mainyu, later called Ahriman, the destroying spirit, the evil god
  They battle for supremacy with the earth as the battleground. This dualism developed into a limited dualism of YHWH and Satan within Rabbinical Midrash.
SATAN/DEVIL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. There is surely progressive revelation in the NT as to the development of evil, but not as elaborate as the rabbis claim. A good example of this difference is the "war in heaven." The fall of Satan (Devil) is a logical necessity, but the specifics are not given (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF SATAN AND HIS ANGELS). Even what is given is veiled in apocalyptic genre (cf. Rev. 12:4,7,12-13; see SPECIAL TOPIC: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE). Although Satan (Devil; see SPECIAL TOPIC: DEVIL) is defeated and exiled to earth, he still functions as a servant of YHWH (cf. Matt. 4:1; Luke 22:31-32; 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20).
  We must curb our curiosity in this area. There is a personal force of temptation and evil, but there is still only one God and mankind is still responsible for his/her choices. There is a spiritual battle, both before and after salvation (i.e., Romans 7; Ephesians 6). Victory can only come and remain in and through the Triune God. Evil has been defeated and will be removed (cf. Luke 10:18; John 12:31; Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 2:13; 3:8; 5:18; Rev. 20:10)!
2. This angelic being is called by several names/titles in the NT (mostly alphabetical order)
  1. the most common (devil, devils)
    1. "Devil" ‒ diabolos, many times, beginning in Jesus' temptation in the wilderness in Matthew 4 and Luke 4; also featured in 1 John 3:8,10 and Revelation 12 and 20; see SPECIAL TOPIC: DEVIL
    2. "devils" ‒ diamonion (Beelzebub as prince of demons, note the PLURAL), many times in the Gospels
  2. "accuser" ‒ Rev. 12:10 (many names/titles in Revelation 12)
  3. "adversary" ‒ 1 Pet. 5:8
  4. "Beelzebub" ‒ Matt. 12:24,27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15,19
  5. "Beliel" ‒ 2 Cor. 6:15
  6. "deceiver" ‒ Rev. 12:9 (disguised himself as an Angel of Light ‒ 2 Cor. 11:14-15)
  7. "enemy" ‒ Matt. 13:39
  8. "evil one" ‒ Matt. 5:39; 6:13; 13:19,38; John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 2:13; 3:12; 5:18-19
  9. "father of lies" ‒ John 8:44
  10. "god of this world (age) ‒ 2 Cor. 4:4
  11. "great dragon" ("the serpent of old," Genesis 3) ‒ Rev. 12:3
  12. "murderer" ‒ John 8:44
  13. "the prince of the power of the air" ‒ Eph. 2:2
  14. "the ruler of this world" ‒ John 12:31; 16:11 (also note 1 John 5:19)
  15. "sinner" ‒ 1 John 3:8
  16. "tempter" ‒ Matt. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:5
These titles are descriptive of his character and agenda! For more descriptive titles, see SPECIAL TOPIC: DEVIL
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