Bennoah1@airmail.netWHAT'S ALL THIS FUSS OVER LUCIFER?
This may be a surprise to you
but the word "Lucifer" appears only one time in the King James
translation of the Bible. Also surprising is the fact that in other
translations it does not appear even one time! The verse in which the King
James Bible uses the word "Lucifer" is Isa. 14:12, which states:
"How art thou fallen from
heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are thou cut down to the
ground, which did weaken the nations!"
Now if you spoke or studied in Hebrew (let us not forget that is the language originally used in the Bible) you would find that the Hebraic translation of the verse reads differently: "How you have fallen from the heavens, shining star, son of the morning! You who weakens the nations are cut down to the ground."
Answer for yourself: Did
you notice that the word "Lucifer" is not in the original text
of the Bible at all!
In fact, Isa. 14:12 is the only place in the entire
King James Bible that the word "Lucifer" appears. The word "Lucifer"
never appears in the Hebrew text.
Answer for yourself: Then
why is it in your and my Bible?
It should not be.
I want you to read the context of the verses that
surround these verses in Isaiah. After you have read them you should
notice that the name "shining star, son of the morning" refers
to the king of Babylon, and not the Devil.
Now I must ask you:
The word "Lucifer" is Latin for:
Answer for yourself: Could the whole concept of "Lucifer" but nothing more than an allegory for the planet Venus rising before the Sun? Is this "literalized Sunworship" and we not know it?
The name "Lucifer" is sometimes applied to the planet Venus as the evening star as well. Interestingly enough, the passage in Luke 10:18 ("I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven") was thought by some to refer to the Isa. 14:12 passage in which the star was used metaphorically for the king of Babylon. According to the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legends of 1984 this "Lucifer" would become the chief of fallen angels and the name for Satan before his rebellion. "Lucifer", as a name give to the devil, comes from this passage, which the early Catholic Church Fathers interpreted, without any coroborrating evidence, as relating to the apostasy & punishment of angelic leaders. Such an application was tied to the King of Babel according to Keil & Delitzsch in their Commentary on the Old Testament. Thus we now find that the Devil is become the chief of the fallen angels or evil spirits. Thus we find in Christian theology today that his personal name was originally Lucifer or light-bearer (Isa. 14:12) and is the term applied to the human king of Babylon. "Lucifer", in religion, is a name that was thus given to Satan by early Christians and was adopted without question in the middle ages because no one sought to study the Scriptures in Hebrew.
Let's summarize:
Answer for yourself: Do you know the
others?
One of the church fathers who was the leading proponent in creating
this man-made theology which connected "Satan" with "Lucifer"
was Origen. He is known for writing "The prophet says, 'How is
Lucifer, who used to arise in the morning, fallen from heaven! He who
assailed all nations is broken & beaten to the ground...' Most
evidently by these words he is shown to have fallen from heaven, who
formerly was Lucifer, and who used to arise in the morning...Nay, even the
Saviour Himself teaches us, saying of the devil, 'Behold, I see Satan
fallen from heaven like lightening..."
It is Origin who
established for us today the link between Isa. 14:12 & Luke 10:18.
Origen took two
verses completely out of their original context and created a new doctrine
for the church. From the time of Origen onward Lucifer & Satan become
synonymous.
Hebrew scholars of
the Jewish faith never associated Satan with the verse found in Isaiah.
It would be the early Greek Catholic Fathers who would re-define the
meaning of these two scriptures and create a new identity for Satan. This
error in Christian theology became part of Christian beliefs around
210-225 A.D. This concept has been in place for over 1700 years and is
rarely questioned today. But it should be. I don't want to shock you but
you better be seated for this. There are many who see in these verses
materials derived from a Canaanite myth concerning Helal, the Day Star or
Lightgiver, son of Shahar the Dawn. Many
connect with this myth the ultimate conflict of good versus bad as
manifested on earth. We know today that there was a god Shahar in
Canaanite (Ugaritic) mythology who was the god of dawn or the morning
star. Connected to this myth is Helal the son of Shahar. Connected again
to both is the mythological concept of the "mount
of assembly of the gods in the far north" which is
also the point around which all the constellations turned (the pole star).
It was here, also, where the summit of the heavenly mountain & throne
of the Most High was located. The passage in Isa. 14:12 preserves for us
the Canaanite for a nature myth, which tells of the attempt of the morning
star to scale the heights of heaven, thus surpassing all other stars only
to be cast down to the earth by the victorious sun. Thus we see in this
myth the story of the aspiring of a minor deity to reach the highest
heaven where the supreme god dwelt. The goal of such was to replace the
supreme ruler with the minor ruler. Such later was borrowed to describe
the king of Babylon and his ambition for prominence which tragically ended
in his downfall.
Let me ask you:
Think of the numerous commentaries that have been written, sermons
that have been preached, and prayers that have been prayed, which assume
that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.
You may be surprised to find out that they are aware of the error
because many of their books document it.
Answer for yourself: Then why don't
they preach the truth about this addition to the scriptures?
This is not only a matter of ignorance, but deception. Once this
false-doctrine became part of the Christian Belief System there was no
limit to the innovative teachings which would be built around it.
According to the Bible, except for I Chron. 21:1, Satan is not a
proper name referring to a particular being and a demoniac one who is the
antagonist or rival of God. It is, in it's original application,
understood as a common noun meaning an adversary who opposes and
obstructs. It is applied to human adversaries in I Sam. 29:4 where the
Philistine questioned David's loyalty to them in battle and were fearful
that David would become a "satan" against them in battle. In II
Sam. 19:22 David accused the sons of Zeruiah of beings "satans"
to his restoration to the throne of Israel. In I Kings 11:14 the Lord
raised up "a satan" against Solomon in the person of Hadad the
Edomite who stood against Solomon in his idolatries. In I Kings 11:23 &
25 we see God raised up another "satan" against Solomon as an
adversary to his rule.
Satan (meaning adversary) as a verb is used of prosecution in a law
court (Psm. 109:6) and the role of an antagonist in general (Psm.
38:20-21; 109:4,20,29). The angel of the Lord who was sent to obstruct
Baalam in Num. 22:31 was chosen by God to fulfill the role of "a
satan" in order to oppose and obstruct Baalam. God sent "satan"
to Baalam. This angel was accomplishing good for God but was a "satan"
toward Baalam. The will of God would be done because of the testing and
trial of Baalam. There is nothing in the Hebrew to suggest that this "opposition"
presented to Baalam was the permanent function of that or any other
particular angel. "The Satan" as a role or function of a
particular angel first appears around 520 B.C. in Zech. 3 and then in Job
1-2.
In I Chron. 21:1 it states that "Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel".
Yet however in 2 Sam 24:1 1 we find that is was God who moved David to number Israel:
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Is God and Satan the same? Is "Satan" just part of the "neteru"?
Notice there is no article before the noun, thus more than likely
Satan seems to be a real proper name. In Zech 3, Satan acts as a
prosecutor in a celestial court. In Job 1-2 Satan questions Job's
integrity and suggests to the Lord that Job be tested to prove his love
and commitment to God. In
all these accounts "Satan" or "satans" are clearly in
subjection & subordinate to God. In neither of the accounts listed are
there "warfare" occurring between The God and His Satan or
satans. The only warfare going on is between men's flesh in it's
submission to the will and purposes of God. Satan, the angel, is clearly
obedient to all of God's commands is unable to act of his own free will
and cannot do anything without God's permission. Nowhere is he in any
sense a rival of God. I think you should take a long
look at I Chron. 21:1 where it states that Satan is said to have incited
David to take a census of Israel, which resulted in the death of 70,000
Israelites (21:14). If we contrast that with 2 Sam. 24:1 it states
"the anger of the Lord
was aroused against Israel, and He (God) moved David against them to say,
'Go number Israel and Judah'". God caused David to
take the census. Notice that one scripture blames YHWH; thus we find the
truth that in God all exists; both powers of opposition as well as
attraction, positive, and negative; the All in the One.
Answer for yourself: How do we
reconcile?
It is rather simple. God is David's adversary (satan-small "s")
since David is relying on the flesh for the defense and protection of
Israel instead of God. God being angered in David's rejection of Him and
His protection and provision, dispatched an adversary (satan) to David. It
happens that the adversary (satan) dispatched happened to be "the"
Satan, himself. Satan obeys God's wishes and judges David and Israel for
the king's transgression and sin.
You be the judge. Next month, we will talk about Persian dualism and
the concepts that have birthed the erroneous teachings concerning
spiritual warfare in today's churches. God is not fighting Satan but the "satans"
(men-as adversaries to the will of God in the earth) created in the image
of God. You got it! God fights the flesh of men to submit to the Spirit of
God, thus accomplishing His purposes, and not ours.
Answer for yourself: It's exciting to finally know the truth, isn't?