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SATAN, THE ADVERSARY OF MANKIND

atan,alsoknownasthedevil,ismentionedfrequentlyintheBible.Therearemanypopularideasaboutthisevilspiritbeing. SomethinkthatSatanisnotreal,butisratherapersonificationofthewickednessthatabidesintheworld.Othersadmitthat the devil exists, but presume that he is now confined in the fiery pits of an ever-burninghell.StillothersbelievethatSatanisfree andactivelypromotingsinfulnessinourworldtoday.Whatisthetruth?WhatdoestheBibletellusaboutthisevilbeing? God'sWordclearlyteachestherealityofSatanasapersonalentity.Heispresentedasanevilbeingwhoaffectshumanitybyhis actions.ManydetailsaboutthedevilareavailableintheBible,butthefactshavetobesearchedout.Inthisarticle,wewillpiece together what the Scriptures have to say about Satan and draw conclusions from the Bible and other available sources. Although the Bible doesn't tell us explicitly, evidence suggests that the angelic realm was formed sometime during the first three daysofcreation,beforeGodbroughtforththedrylandontheearth.ThisunderstandingissupportedbypassagesinNehemiah and Job:

NEHEMIAH 9:6 You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them,andYoupreservethemall.The host of heaven worships You. (NKJV)

JOB38:4"WherewereyouwhenIlaidthefoundationsoftheearth?TellMe,ifyouhave understanding.5Whodetermineditsmeasurements?Surelyyouknow!Orwho stretchedthelineuponit?6Towhatitsfoundationsfastened?Orwholaidits cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (NKJV)

The "host of heaven" mentioned in Nehemiah 9:6 is a reference to angels, as are the parallel terms "morning stars" and "sons of God"inJob38:7.ThepassageinJobsuggeststhattheangelswerepresentwhenGod"laidthefoundationsofthe earth" (probably a reference to the separation of the dry land from the water on the third day of creation). Now that we have an idea when the angels were originally formed, let's examine what the Bible reveals about the creation of Satan:

EZEKIEL 28:12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him:'ThisiswhattheSovereignLORDsays:"'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13You were in Eden, the garden of God; everypreciousstoneadornedyou:ruby,topazandemerald,chrysolite,onyxandjasper, sapphire,turquoiseandberyl.Yoursettingsandmountingsweremadeofgoldon the dayyouwerecreatedtheywereprepared.14You were anointed as a guardian cherub,forsoIordainedyou.You were on the holy mount of God; you walked amongthefierystones.15Youwereblamelessinyourwaysfromthedayyouwere createdtillwickednesswasfoundinyou.16Throughyourwidespreadtradeyouwere filledwithviolence,andyousinned.SoI drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,andIexpelledyou,Oguardiancherub,fromamongthefierystones.17Yourheart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of yoursplendor.SoIthrewyoutotheearthImadeaspectacleofyoubeforekings.18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries . . . " (NIV)

Satanisnevermentionedbynameinthispassage.However,therearesomecluesinEzekiel28thatidentifytheentitiesbeing spokenofhere.ThechapterstartswithGod'sproclamationagainstthe"PrinceofTyre"(v.2).Thisprinceisproudandsays,"I amagod,Isitintheseatofgods"(v.2).ThesewordsmirrorwhatPaulsaysaboutthe"ManofSin"(IIThe.2:4).Ezekiel 28:110 is speaking figuratively of the coming Antichrist. WeseeanothermessagebeginninginEzekiel28:11,thisoneaddressedbyGodtothe"KingofTyre."However,becauseofthe thingssaidaboutthisking,itisclearthatGodisnotspeakingtoamereman.Thiskingistheonewhowillgivehisauthoritytothe PrinceofTyreattheendoftheage(Rev.13:2).Thiskingistheancientdragon,Satan. The first thing to notice about this passage in Ezekiel is that the "king of Tyre" (Satan) was in the Garden of Eden and he was "the sealofperfection."When does the Bible show that the Garden of Eden was formed?

GENESIS 2:8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. (NKJV)

Genesis 2:8 seems to indicate that the Garden of Eden was planted by God afterHecreatedman.Ezekiel28:13revealsthatSatan wasinEdenbeforehesinned.Therefore,contrarytotraditionalunderstanding,SatanwasintheGardenofEdenwithAdamand Eve before he fell. This anointed guardian cherub was likely one of the two angels who covered the mercy seat with their wings (see Heb. 8:5; 9:5, 2324; Exo. 25:20; 37:9; I Kings 6:19-28; 8:6-7; I Chr. 28:18; II Chr.3:10-13; 5:7-8).However,becauseofpride, this cherub's wisdom was corrupted, as I Timothy 3:6 implies:

I TIMOTHY 3:6 Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. (NKJV)

How did pridecauseSatantofallintocondemnation?TheBibledoesn'ttellusdirectly,butthereareenoughcluestofigureout the answer to this question. Genesis 1:26-28 shows that God made mankind in His "image":

GENESIS 1:26 Then God ['elohim] said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27SoGod ['elohim] created man in His own image; in the image of God ['elohim] He createdhimmaleandfemaleHecreatedthem.28ThenGod ['elohim] blessed them, and God ['elohim] said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (NKJV)

Thereareseveraltheoriesaboutwhatitmeanstobemade"intheimageofGod."Thispassagemakesitclearthatbeingmadein God's image is what makes mankind (both men and women) different the rest of the physical creation. Mankind is like 'elohim in some way because we are made in the image of 'elohim,buthow?MichaelS.Heiser,anancient Hebrew language expert, gives the following explanation in answer to this question:

...This points to viewing the image in a FUNCTIONAL sense (i.e., we are to "image" God) as opposed to a QUALITATIVE sense (as though the image is some quality or ability given to us; i.e., the image is some possessed attribute). ...WhenScripturespeaksofmankindbeingcreatedintheimageofGod,whatismeant

is that mankind has been created to represent God on earth. ...God deliberately created mankind to rule the earth, and to accomplish this purpose, He created man as His own image - He made man his co-regent / representative ruler. The image of God then, refers to our unique status as human beings, rulers in God's stead,accordingtoHisownwill.WearecreatedASHisimage- to function as He would wereHeadministeringHisownaffairsdirectly.Ourabilities- unequally given to us in the providence of God are not THE image, but only a means to carrying out His expressed andoftensecretend.(pp.8,9,10,11,"TheImageofGodinScripture")

This understanding of "the image of God" is supported by the immediate text, which shows that mankind's duties included having dominionovertheearthandeverylivingcreatureonit.ThisinterpretationisalsosupportedbyarelatedpassageofScripturein Psalm 8:

PSALM 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?5ForYou have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crownedhimwithgloryandhonor.6You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. (NKJV)

Although this Scripture is a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah as a man (Heb. 2:6-9), it also shows the position of mankind ontheearthandalludestothereasonforSatan'sultimatefall.Verse5tellsusthathumanitywasmade"alittlelowerthanthe angels."However,itwasmankind,notangels,whoweregivenrulershipovertheearth. AsEzekiel28:12tellsus,Satanwas"themodelofperfection,fullofwisdomandperfectinbeauty"whenhewascreated.Yet neitherhenoranyoftheotherangelsweregivendominionovertheearthinitially.Rather,Adam(abeingSatansurelyconsidered inferiortohimself)wasgiventhispower.It'seasytoseewhySatan'sprideledhimtosin. Ezekiel28:16tellsusthatSatanwasfilledwithviolenceandsinnedthroughhis"widespreadtrade."TheHebrewwordrendered "trade" in Ezekiel 28:16 is rekullatekha; it is a form of the noun rekulla,whichmeans"merchandise"or"traffic."However, rekulla is derived from the root word rakal,whichmeans"togoabout."Aclosely-related derivative, rakil, means "slanderer." IntheNewTestament,Satanisoftencalledthe"devil,"ordiabolosinGreek.Notcoincidentally,theliteralmeaningofdiabolos and its variations is also "slanderer." TheaccountofSataninEzekiel28probablyinvolvesaspectsofboth"merchandising"and"slander."TheScripturesimplythat Satan, likely through peddling his slander, may have turned 1/3 of the angelic host against God (Rev. 12:3-4).It'snothardto imagine Satan going around to the angels, seeking to build support for his contention that they were far better qualified to run the earththanmankind.Itwasthroughthisslanderous"merchandising"thatSatanbecamefilledwithviolenceagainsthumanity. Eventually, Satan must have developed a plan that he felt would deliver to him the position he believed should have rightfully been hisfromthebeginning.HedecidedtodeceivethehumansintheGardenintodisobeyingGod'sdirectcommand.Afterproving mankind was unworthy of the rulership position God had placed them in, Satan, in his arrogant pride, must have thought God would see that he should be given authority over the world in their place. It's in this context that we see Satan approach Eve in the Garden of Eden:

GENESIS 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORDGodhadmade.Andhesaidtothewoman,"HasGodindeedsaid,'Youshallnot eatofeverytreeofthegarden'?"2Andthewomansaidtotheserpent,"Wemayeatthe fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,Godhassaid,'Youshallnoteatit,norshallyoutouchit,lestyoudie.'"4Then theserpentsaidtothewoman,"Youwillnotsurelydie.5ForGodknowsthatintheday you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6Sowhenthewomansawthatthetreewasgoodforfood,thatitwaspleasanttothe eyes,andatreedesirabletomakeonewise,shetookofitsfruitandate.Shealsogave

to her husband with her, and he ate. (NKJV)

The Bible elsewhere identifies Satan with the serpentinthisstory.InRevelation12:9and20:2,heiscalled"thatserpent of old, calledtheDevilandSatan."DidheappeartoEveintheformofatalkingsnake?Probablynot. The Hebrew word translated "serpent" in the above passage is ( nachash).Inadditionto"serpent,"thisHebrewrootword hasseveralotherpossiblemeanings.Itcanbeusedasanountomean"onewhopracticesdivination,"or"shiningbrass." However,nachash can also be used as an adjective to mean "bright" or "brazen." In Genesis 3, it is possible that nachashisanadjectivebeingusedasanoun.Ifthatisthecase,thepropertranslationof hanachashinGenesis3wouldbe"thebrightone"or"theshiningone."Thisunderstandingofnachash fits in very well with Paul's description of Satan appearing as an "angel of light" (II Cor. 11:14). NoticeSatan'stacticswithEve.Hedidn'tlietoheroutright,butinsteadhetwistedthetruth.HeledEvetodoubtGod'sword.

GENESIS 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew that they were nakedandtheysewedfigleavestogetherandmadethemselvescoverings.8Andthey heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9ThentheLORDGodcalledtoAdamandsaidtohim,"Whereareyou?"10Sohesaid, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."11AndHesaid,"Whotoldyouthatyouwerenaked?Haveyoueatenthetreeof which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 12 Then the man said, "The woman whomYougavetobewithme,shegavemeofthetree,andIate."13AndtheLORD Godsaidtothewoman,"Whatisthisyouhavedone?"Thewomansaid,"Theserpent deceived me, and I ate." (NKJV)

AlthoughSatanapparentlybelievedthatthedownfallofmankindwouldbenefithim,itactuallyturnedouttobehisundoing.God was not pleased with his role in man's disobedience, and he was cursed for his deviousness:

GENESIS 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (NKJV)

Satan'splantorectifythe"mistake"Godhadmadebyputtinghumansinchargeoftheearthbackfired.Aswellasrevealingthe flawsofman,Satanrevealedhisownshortcomings.HisdeceptionresultedinGodplacinganage-lasting animosity between him andmankind.Fromthatpointforward,"theShiningone"became"theAdversary"(Heb.HaSatan)ofhumanity.Theenmity between man and Satan is alluded to by Paul in the conclusion of his letter to the Romans:

ROMANS16:20AndtheGodofpeacewillcrushSatanunderyourfeetshortly.Thegrace ofourLordJesusChristbewithyou.Amen.(NKJV)

Satan'sactionsdidachievetheirdesiredaimGodcastmanoutoftheGardenofEdenforhissin(Gen.3:24).Inhisfallenstate, man was condemned to suffer death because of Adam's sin, as Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans:

ROMANS 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned...14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come. (NKJV)

Because Satan enticed mankind to sin and bring death upon themselves, he is called a murderer:

JOHN 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth becausethereisnotruthinhim.Wheneverhespeaksalie,hespeakshisownnature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (NASU)

"The beginning" spoken of by Yeshua refers to the beginning of God's plan, when mankind was in the Garden of Eden before the fall(Gen.2)."Thebeginning"hereisnot referring to Satan's creation, because we know that originally he is said to have been created "blameless" (Eze. 28:15). John also speaks of Satan being a sinner "the beginning":

I JOHN 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning....(NASU)

Inoneway,Satan'splansucceeded.BecauseAdamdisqualifiedhimselffromrulershipbyhisdisobedience,GodplacedSatan overtheworldinhisplace.Thedevil'stemptationofYeshuainthewildernessshowsthisclearly:

LUKE 4:5 Then the devil, taking him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the worldinamomentoftime.6Andthedevilsaidtohim,"Allthis authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish." (NKJV)

SatantemptedYeshuaforthesamereasonhehadenticedEveintheGarden.HeknewthatYeshuawasintheprocessof regainingrulershipovertheearthandwouldreplacehimifsuccessful.HethoughtthatifhecouldgetYeshuatosin(ashehad AdamandEve),hecouldthwartGod'splanandremaintheruleroftheworld.However,whereAdamhadsuccumbedtoSatan's machinationsanddisqualifiedmankindfromrulingtheearth,Yeshuawithstoodthetemptationandtriumphed.Thisvictorypaved thewayforhimtobecomeAdam'ssuccessor.Yeshuawillreclaimrulershipoftheearthathissecondcoming. Just before his crucifixion, Yeshua alluded to Satan's status as the current ruler of the world:

JOHN 14:30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me." (NKJV)

Paul refers to Satan as "the god of this age" in his follow-up letter to the Corinthians:

II CORINTHIANS 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (NKJV)

In Mark's Gospel, Yeshua clearly states that Satan is the one God uses to blind those who can't see the good news of the Messiah:

MARK4:14"Thesowersowstheword.15Andthesearetheonesbythewaysidewhere thewordissown.Whentheyhear,Satan comes immediately and takes away the word

that was sown in their hearts. (NKJV)

As the "god of this age," Satan rules over the other fallen angels and the demons:

MATTHEW 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,thatthismancastsoutdemons."25Knowingtheirthoughts,hesaid to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand; 26 and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?" (RSV)

HereSataniscalled"Beelzebul,"whichliterallymeans"Lordoftheflies."Heisidentifiedasthe"princeofdemons."Wealso knowfromtheScripturesthatSatanistherulerofthefallenangels(Matt.25:41Rev.12:9).Foranexaminationofthedifference between fallen angels and demons, refer to my related article. When demons bring sickness and ailments upon people, we find that Satan is blamed:

LUKE 13:11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,andwasbentoverandcouldinnowayraiseherselfup.12ButwhenJesussaw her,hecalledhertohimandsaidtoher,"Woman,youareloosedyourinfirmity."13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God....16"Sooughtnotthiswoman,beingadaughterofAbraham,whom Satan has bound think of it for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" (NKJV)

ACTS 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healingallwhowereoppressedbythedevil, for God was with him." (NKJV)

Contrarytopopularopinion,theBibleclearlyshowsthatSatanhasnotbeenrestrictedtoafieryhellafterhisfall.Indeed,theOld Testament shows that, before the first coming of Yeshua the Messiah, Satan continued to have access to the heavenly throne of God:

JOB 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.7AndtheLORDsaidtoSatan,"From wheredoyoucome?"SoSatanansweredtheLORDandsaid,"Fromgoingtoandfroon the earth, and walking back and forth on it." (NKJV)

JOB 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among themtopresenthimselfbeforetheLORD.2 AndtheLORDsaidtoSatan,"Fromwheredoyoucome?"SoSatanansweredtheLORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and walking back and forth on it." (NKJV)

It appears that Satan served as some kind of celestial prosecutor for God before the divine council.Inthatrole,Satanslandered and accused God's people before the heavenly throne of YHVH,asthestoryinJobshows.ZechariahalsosawSataninactionas the accuser in a vision:

ZECHARIAH 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.2TheLORDsaidto Satan,"TheLORDrebukeyou,Satan!TheLORD,whohaschosenJerusalem,rebukeyou!

Isnotthismanaburningsticksnatchedthefire?"(NIV)

SometimeafterMessiahYeshuatriumphantlyreturnedtoheavenafterhiscrucifixionandresurrection(Rev.12:5),Satanandhis angels were cast out and no longer had access to the throne:

REVELATION 12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.9Andthegreatdragonwasthrowndown,that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (RSV)

SomehaveincorrectlybelievedthatthispassagereferstoSatan'sinitialfall.YetthetimesequenceestablishedinRevelation12 clearly indicates that this ejection from heaven was after the Messiah returned from the earth and before his second coming at the end of this age. Yeshua, just before his crucifixion, stated that his triumph on the cross would allow for Satan to be cast out of heaven:

JOHN 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (RSV)

JOHN 16:11 "Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." (RSV)

Yeshua told his disciples that when he had gone back into heaven after his resurrection, the Father would send His Spirit to teach themandhelpthemrememberallthethingshehadsaidtothem(John14:26).Butinaddition,hewarnedthemofthecomingof Satan to the earth after his departure. In Revelation, John records an angel speaking from heaven who warns the earth about the coming of Satan:

REVELATION 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.11AndtheyovercamehimbythebloodoftheLambandbytheword oftheirtestimony,andtheydidnotlovetheirlivestothedeath.12Thereforerejoice,O heavens,andyouwhodwellinthem!Woetotheinhabitantsoftheearthandthesea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (NKJV)

Satan now roams the earth looking for those whom he can prey upon:

I PETER 5:8 Be self-controlledandalert.Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)

Paul tells us how to avoid becoming the prey of Satan:

EPHESIANS 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11PutonthewholearmorofGod,thatyoumaybeabletostandagainstthe wiles of the devil.12Forwedonotwrestleagainstfleshandblood,butagainst

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritualhostsofwickednessintheheavenlyplaces.13Thereforetakeupthewhole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14Standtherefore,havinggirdedyourwaistwithtruth,havingputonthe breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.17Andtakethehelmetofsalvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (NKJV)

James also gives believers advice on thwarting the devil's schemes:

JAMES4:7ThereforesubmittoGod.Resistthedevilandhewillfleefromyou.8 DrawneartoGodandHewilldrawneartoyou.Cleanseyourhands,yousinnersand purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NKJV)

Paul, in his final letter to Timothy, speaks of those who have been caught by the devil:

II TIMOTHY 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (NKJV)

Nowthatwe'veexaminedSatan'soriginandactivities,let'slookatthefinaldestinyofSatan.WhatdotheScripturessaywillbe hisultimatefate?YeshuabrieflymentionedthisinhisdissertationonthejudgmentinMatthew25:

MATTHEW 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (NKJV)

Revelation19describesthebattlebetweentheforcesoftheAntichristandYeshuaattheendofthisage.Afterthedefeatand destruction of "the beast" and "the false prophet," the Bible reveals that Satan himself will be captured and imprisoned for a thousand years:

REVELATION 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit [abussou, "Abyss"]andagreatchaininhishand.2Helaidholdofthe dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit [abusson, "Abyss"], and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand yearswerefinished.Butafterthesethingshemustbereleasedforalittlewhile.(NKJV)

ISAIAH 24:21 So it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high,andthekingsoftheearthonearth.22They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison; and after many days they will be punished. (NASU)

REVELATION 20:7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of thesea.9Andtheymarchedupoverthebroadearthandsurroundedthecampofthe

saints and the beloved city; but fire came down heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (RSV)

Satan's final rebellion against YHVHwillbethwarted,andGodwillfinallydealwiththedevil.Revelation20:10describeshow GodhandlesSatan.JustwhatdoesthisversetellusaboutthefateoftheAdversary? The first part of the answer lies in the Greek word basanisthesontai,translated"tormented"here.Understandingthetruemeaning of basanisthesontai, which comes the verb basanizo and the noun basanos, is one of the major keys to accurately interpreting Revelation 20:10. According to Friberg, basanisthesontai means "strictly, rub upon the touchstone (basanos), a Lydian stone used to test the genuineness of metals; hence, test or make proof of anything..." The history found in Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament of how the meaning of these words evolved over time is very helpful in correctly understanding this verse:

...The [basanos]originallybelongstothecallingoftheinspectorofcoins.Itislinkedwiththe Heb. root "( totest")... isgenerallyacceptedtobealoanword...Thetestingofgoldand silver as media of exchange by the proving stone, was first developed by the Babylonians, then came to theAramaeansandHebrewsbywayofLydia...andthemtotheGks.Innon-biblical Gk. is a commercialexpression,orisusedinrelationtogovernment.Itthenacquiresthemeaningofthe checking of calculations, which develops naturally out of the basic sense of , [basanizein]...Inthespiritualsphereithasthefigur.sense,whichiscloselyrelatedtotheoriginal concretemeaning,ofameansoftesting...

Thewordthenundergoesachangeinmeaning.Theoriginalsensefadesintothe background:
nowcomestodenote"torture"or"therack,"espec.usedwithslaves... occurs in the senseof"torment"... Thechangeinmeaningisbestexplainedifwebeginwiththeobjectoftreatment.Ifweputmeninstead ofmetaloracoin,thestoneoftestingbecome[s]tortureortherack.Themetalwhichhassurvivedthe testingstoneissubjectedtoharshertreatment.Manisinthesamepositionwhenseverelytestedby torture.Inthetestingofmetalanessentialrolewasplayedbythethoughtoftesting and proving genuineness.Therackisameansofshowingthetruestateofaffairs.In its proper sense it is a means of testing and proving, though also of punishment.Finally,eventhisspecialmeaningwas weakened and only the general element of torture remained(pp.561,562,vol.I,emphasis mine).

The meaning of Revelation 20:10 is that Satan (and implicitly, all those who haven't submitted to God by the end of the Millennium)willbecastintothelakeoffire.ThereSatanandthewickedwillbepunishedfortheirrebellion.Inadditionto punishing,thelakeoffirewillalsotest,prove,andrefinethosecastinit.However,thisprocessisnot"eternal"asweunderstand the concept. Toverifythis,let'slookcloselyatthefinalphrase"foreverandever."Friberg says that this phrase, translated the Greek eis tous aionas ton aionon, literally means "into the ages of the ages."TheGreeknounsaionas and aionon are plural forms of the Greek aion,whichsimplymeansan"eon"or"age."Thiswordreferstoanindefiniteperiodoftimehowever,itdoesnotconvey the idea of eternity. This Greek phrase is used numerous times in the Scriptures (see Gal. 1:5; Phi. 4:20; I Tim. 1:17; II Tim. 4:18; Heb. 13:21; I Pet. 4:11Rev.1:6,184:9,105:13,147:1210:611:1515:719:322:5).Mostpeopleassumethatthisphrasemeans"eternity" however, some scholars realize that this connotation was not present in the original Koine ("common") Greek of the New Testament.Inhisworkontheoriginalmeaningsofaion and aionios, Louis Abbott writes:

The Greek phrase eis tous aionas ton aionon, "for the eons of the eons," occurs about twentytimesintheGreekNewTestamentinthiscombination.TheASVmarginandsome

other versions, lexicons, dictionaries, and commentaries translate the phrase correctly. Windet, in De Vita Functora Statu, of 1633 says (p. 170), "eis tous aionas ton aionon, of the New Testament meant a finite period." At 1 Cor. 15:25, where the Greek text shows, dei gar auton basileuein achri hou the pantas tous echthrous hupo tous podas autou, "For He must be reigning until He should beplacingallHisenemiesunderHisfeet."ThisclearlystatesthatChrist'sreigningis limited.ThereisnoScripturetocontradictthestatementwhenaion and aionios are correctly translated. Dr. William Barclay concurs in his commentary (p. 166-169) on The Letters to the Corinthians.IftheGreekwordseis tous aionas ton aionon mean endless time, as translated in the KJV, "forever and ever," we have a contradiction in Scripture, for Rev. 11:15says,inthesameversion:"Thekingdomsofthisworldarebecomethekingdoms ofourLordandHisChrist,andHeshallreignforeverandever."Thatcontradicts1Cor. 15:25,whichsays:"Hemustbereigningtill..."IfRev.11:15istranslated"eonsof theeons,"or"agesoftheages,"thereisnocontradiction.TheASVsays(1Cor.15:2425), "Then cometh the end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the FatherWhenHeshallhaveabolishedallruleandallauthorityandpower.ForHemust reign till He hath put all His enemies under His feet;" consequently, the reigning of Christ Jesus and the saints (Rev. 22:5) will be "for the eons of the eons" or "for the ages of the ages."(ch.5,An Analytical Study of Words)

A correct understanding of "into the ages of the ages" shows that Satan, as well as those who worship the "beast" (Rev. 14:11) will be refined in the lake of fire for an indeterminate, probably lengthy, but still finite,amountoftime.Theuseofthephrase"day andnight"inRevelation20:10alsobearsthisout,sincetimeasweunderstanditdoesnotexistineternity.Foramoreindepth review of the biblical teaching on this topic, see my article Eternal Life vs. Everlasting Punishment. OnefinalpointregardingSatanneedstobeaddressed.SomebelievethatYHVH the Father created the angel that became Satan withfreewill,andthatthisangelfreelychosetorebelagainstGodandsethimselfinoppositiontoHisdivineplan.Butisthatwhat theScripturesteach?DidtheAlmightyGodwhoknowsallthingsNOTknowwhatthiscreatureofHiswouldultimatelydo? God Himself provides the answer to that question through the prophet Isaiah:

ISAIAH 45:7 "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil [vore' ra']; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things." (JPS)

God clearly takes credit for having created evil in this pronouncement. Although He initially made Satan "blameless in his ways" (Eze. 28:15), God knew that the character He placed within Satan was prone to pride, and that this pride would cause Satan'sfutureactionsregardingmankind.ThereforeGodtakescreditforcreatingthisevilbeing,andalltheevilthathascome forth him. ItwasnecessarythatabeingsuchasSatanexistinorderforGod'sdivineplanandpurposetoberealized.Weseethisclearly illustratedinthestoryofJob.ItwasGodwhofirstbroughtJobtoSatan'sattention,incitinghimtoslanderJob'smotivesfor obedience:

JOB 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."9"Does Job fear God for nothing?"Satanreplied.10"HaveYounotputa hedgearoundhimandhishouseholdandeverythinghehas?Youhaveblessedthework ofhishands,sothathisflocksandherdsarespreadthroughouttheland.11Butstretch out Your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to your face." 12TheLORDsaidtoSatan,"Verywell,then,everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."ThenSatanwentoutthepresenceof the LORD. (NIV)

After his initial divinely-sanctioned attack on Job's family and material goods did not achieve the desired result (Job 1:13-22), Yah baitedSatanintoattackingJobagain.Oncemore,Hegavehimtheapprovaltodoso:

JOB 2:3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job?There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.Andhestillmaintainshisintegrity,thoughyou incited Me against him to ruin himwithoutanyreason."4"Skinforskin!"Satanreplied."Amanwillgiveallhehasfor hisownlife.5Butstretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face."6TheLORDsaidtoSatan,"Verywell,then,he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."7SoSatanwentoutfromthe presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. (NIV)

OneimportantthingwemustrecognizefromthisstoryisthatGodsetalimitonwhatSatancoulddotoJob.Thisshowsthat there are boundaries to Satan's authority, and he cannot act outside of the will of God. The rest of the book of Job goes on to show that although there often appears to be no reason why bad things happen to good people,Godtrulyisincontrol,Hehasaplan,andallthingseventuallyworkoutforgood(Rom.8:28).Aftersteadfastly maintaining his innocence throughout his ordeal, Job finally realizes that sometimes one cannot understand why God does things in the manner He does:

JOB42:1ThenJobrepliedtotheLORD:2"IknowthatYou can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted.3Youasked,'Whoisthisthatobscuresmycounselwithout knowledge?'SurelyI spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." (NIV)

Job finally realized God's plan was a wonderful mystery that was beyond his limited human ability to understand. AlthoughSatanwastheonewhoactedagainstJob,clearlytheevildonetohimwaspurposedbyGodHimself.Eventhough Satandidthesethingsoutofhatredandmalice,Godintendedgoodtocomefromthem.SoitiswithalloftheAdversary's actions; he despises man and seeks to destroy him, but God uses Satan's evil to fulfill a specific purpose so that His plan for humanitymightultimatelybecompleted.Althoughgenerallynotrecognizedoraccepted,thecompletionofGod'splanisclearly stated by Paul in I Timothy 2:4:

I TIMOTHY 2:4 [God] who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (RWB)

CONCLUSION
heBiblegivesquiteabitofinformationaboutSatan.Tounderstandthetruth,alltheinformationhastobepiecedtogether. Firstandforemost,wemustunderstandthatSatanisaccomplishingthewillofGod.Sataniscurrentlythe"god"ofthis worldheisthehighestrankingevilspiritbeing.Thedevilhasauthorityoverthefallenangelsandthedemons.Intheend, Messiahwillreturnandsubjugateallwhowon'tsubmittoGod'sauthority,includingSatanandhisangels.Theirpunishmentwill be age-lasting destruction and refinement within the lake of fire. Bryan T. Huie July 12, 1997
Revised: June 26, 2010

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