What is the purpose of the Devil. Why didnt God just kill him off 5000+ years ago when he rebelled.

[Richard1965]

Originally Posted by DRob4JC

Whose problem is that? Not God's...

The problem is someone somewhere personified the Hebrew word satan = adversary...

Interesting...


Yesterday, New York Magazine published an interview with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in which is he quoted as saying that he believes "the Devil" has given up taking possession of humans to make them sin, in favor of causing them to be atheists. His reasoning is as follows:

I mean, c’mon, that’s the explanation for why there’s not demonic possession all over the place. That always puzzled me. What happened to the Devil, you know? He used to be all over the place. He used to be all over the New Testament.

So, to him, I guess, the fact that we don't see demonic possession on a regular basis, yet people are sinning and not believing, proves that The Devil is changing tactics - because in what Christians call the New Testament he is a regular feature. But, as far as I know, there isn't much of an occurrence of "the Devil" in TaNa"Ch, or what Christians refer to as the "Old Testament".

I know what the standard Jewish approach is regarding "the Devil" (short version: he doesn't get a mention, and we don't believe in such a being - at least not in the way commonly talked about by Christian preachers). But according to the Christian view (across most denominations, as far as I can tell), there is some being called "The Devil" who possesses people and causes them to sin, etc. Where is he in what you call the Old Testament, and why would he just suddenly appear later? - satan - Where does the Old Testament mention "the devil"? - Christianity Stack Exchange

In Christianity, the title Satan (Hebrew: הַשָּׂטָן ha-Satan), "the opposer", is a title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Jewish Bible. "Satan" later became the name of the personification of evil. Christian tradition and theology changed "Satan" from an accuser appointed by God to test men's faith to God's godlike fallen opponent: "the Devil", "Shaitan" in Arabic (the term used by Arab Christians and Muslims).
Traditionally, Christians have understood the Devil to be the author of lies and promoter of evil. However, the Devil can go no further than the word of Christ the Logos allows, resulting in the problem of evil.
Liberal Christianity often views the devil metaphorically. This is true of some Conservative Christian groups too, such as the Christadelphians and the Church of the Blessed Hope. Much of the popular lore of the Devil is not biblical; instead, it is a post-medieval Christian reading of the scriptures influenced by medieval and pre-medieval Christian popular mythology.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_in_Christianity

[DRob4JC]

Originally Posted by UsAll

Just offered as "food for thought":

By faith, I know that I am going to live to be 5 million years old (in fact, I'm already 4000 years old right now but have just aged very well and look rather young for my age).

By faith, I know that I am the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln and that Abraham Lincoln was the reincarnation of King Solomon of the Jews.

By faith, I know that cancer is a disease inflicted upon humanity by an alien species called the Trojons, who implanted it here on Earth to wipe us all out eventually.

By faith, I believe that there is a hidden species of dogs (canines) somewhere on planet Earth who all speak perfect English just like you and I do and have a hidden advanced fluorishing civilization.


Let me ask you, does my invocation of the word "faith" and my drawing upon "faith-based thinking" lend any credence whatsoever to my above-stated claims? And even if archaeologists found writings or scriptures from many thousands of years ago which stated the same or similar things, would that lend any credence whatsoever to such claims or similar claims just because we have them all stated in writing (assuming we even interpreted and translated those writings correctly in the first place . . . and assuming those writings hadn't been tampered with or altered by later parties who got their hands on them)?

Depends on whom your faith is in.

If your faith is in archaeologists, you will go as far as they can take you.

If a child's faith is in his/her parents, he/she will go as far as the parents can take them - which is farther than they can go on their own.

I believe in God the Father and the Son whom was sent. God promises life with Him after life on earth along with other promises. I will go as far as He takes me.

[Rotagivan]

Originally Posted by Mike555

Since Satan's fall and his subsequent sentencing to the lake of fire by God occurred before human history began, and yet the sentence will not be carried out until the end of human history at the end of the Millennium at which point the eternal state for man begins, it is a reasonable assumption that Satan objected to the sentence and accused God of being unfair, thereby impugning the character of God. It pleased God to demonstrate to all of creation that He was just in His sentencing of Satan to banishment in the lake of fire. During human history God is giving Satan an opportunity to appeal his case. Human history then is the appeal trial of Satan in which he is attempting to prove his boast that he is capable of ruling as well as God (Isa. 14:13-14). Satan is called the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4), and the ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11).

This 'angelic conflict' is one of the reasons that God created man. And this spiritual warfare thoughout the course of human history can be seen throughout the Bible. For man, the battlefield in which he participates in this conflict is in the soul. The angelic conflict from the standpoint of the angels can be seen in such passages as Daniel chapter 10 in which an angel described as a man by Daniel, probably Gabriel who is mentioned in Daniel 9:21, states that he was withheld from coming to Daniel by the prince of Persia (10:13) (a fallen angel in the ranks of Satan assigned by Satan to Persia, not a human prince) for twenty one days until one of the chief princes, Michael came to help him. After delivering his message to Daniel Gabriel then states that he is returning to fight against the prince of Persia (10:20-21), and in Revelation 12:7-9 in which during the middle of the Tribulation Satan and his angels are warring against Michael and his angels. Satan at that time will be permanently cast out of heaven and confined to the earth at which time he will vent his rage upon Israel.

While God could have immediately sent Satan and the angels who rebelled with him to the lake of fire, He chose to give Satan an opportunity to prove that the sentence was unjust. This is what human history is about. Satan of course has no chance of winning.

What you are suggesting here is that this idea of god can be the object of doubt when it comes to the conscious individuals he has created and his need to show he is right (for the 'benefit' of the non rebellious who still see him as perfect even though there is obviously doubt) - so the god creates human beings - some sort of animistic entity implanted into the human form, so that through this he might show his 'creation' that he is fair and just and reasonable and of course, perfect.

God gives Satan an 'opportunity' to prove the sentence unjust even though Satan 'of course' had no chance of proving anything of the sort?

Sounds to me like a narcissistic way of accomplishing nothing much at all. The god is an insane idea!

To accept such a faerie tale as being actually true shows the depth of the individuals surface psyche. Very shallow. Were you taught this as a child from day one and thus accept such explanation as fair and reasonable?
Woe unto us should such type of individual hold any leadership roles over our communities!
Grow up. Let go of the hate you so obviously hold behind that thin veil of self righteousness. Get real.

[MysticPhD]

I have never been given a rational and logical explanation for the role and thinking of this Satan character. It is the epitome of the ultimate loser facing a losing proposition! If ANYONE can explain what the thinking is here . . . I would be appreciative.