Humanity has long associated the dark forces on earth with the name of Satan. What vices are not attributed to him? Today we will try to figure out and understand what the essence of Satan is and what Satan really is. Let's turn for information to authoritative sources and a knowledgeable person - the Old Believer Commissar of Qatar. The difficulty of the question is that Satan was an angel and created him, like all things, also God. Why then did God give birth to evil? Why didn’t he destroy it, he’s the All-Mighty? You will find out who the servants of Satan are and their names. Is Satan the devil or not? Finally, let us clarify the question of who Satan rules on earth and in heaven. And does he rule at all?
Chatty snake
The Bible opens with the story of creation, when God announced the beginning of the universe. The first two chapters present breathtaking pictures of order, wholeness and prosperity. It is not surprising that the Creator, having surveyed what He had created, declared that it was all “very good” (Gen. 1:31).
And suddenly, unexpectedly, a snake appears. But this is not just an ordinary snake: he talks, and I must say that he is very talkative. Very quickly, this writhing creature begins a conversation with Eve, seducing her and her silent husband - and you and me - into rebellion against God. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that this ancient serpent is the embodiment of Satan himself (Rev. 12:9).
Satan is a fallen angel rejected by God for his pride
To put it bluntly and unequivocally, only people who are capable of killing their own child can demand that God kill Satan. After all, Satan is His son. And what sins do our children commit? And we are ready to forgive them for everything. Because this is our dear blood.
Now it’s time to talk about Satan, as the creation of God’s hands and his offense before God. Here is what Holy Scripture says about this:
“On this day [of creation], one of the angels named Satan, who was an elder of the tenth rank, saw how God adorned the firmament about which we spoke, that is, heaven and earth, he was filled with pride and thought: “How beautiful the universe is, but I don’t see any inhabitants on it; I will come to the earth and take it, and I will possess it, and I will be like God, and I will set my throne on the clouds.”
Let me remind you that God created angels from fiery spirits to help himself in the difficult task of creating the world. Satan, before his transformation into the prince of darkness, bore the name Satanael. He was deprived of the holy prefix “il” by the Son of the Most High - Jesus. And from that time on he remains, like all people on earth, in a mortal body. Every time he is born anew on earth, he remains its master. We will return to this difficult issue later. Another name for the originally bright fiery spirit, reborn into the prince of darkness and father of lies, is Dennitsa.
Satan's desire to rule the earth instead of God was interpreted as a manifestation of pride. For which he was overthrown to Earth. Another essence of Satan is pride.
Origin of the Devil
The Bible does not explicitly and clearly describe the origin of Satan. Presumably, he began to exist some time after God created the perfect world (Gen. 1:31) and before his appearance in the Garden of Eden in the form of a serpent (Gen. 3:1). Despite everything we don't know, we can say with some certainty at least the following five things.
God created him.
Scripture states that everything was created by God and for God (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16-17). It naturally follows that the all-encompassing category of “everything” even includes the devil. After all, if God is not “behind” the creation of Satan, then who is? Some other powerful being? If so, then this
a being must control at least one realm of existence. And then this sphere cannot be completely subject to God and be under His control.
God created him kind and good.
As the source of all goodness, beauty, and truth, God creates only that which is consistent with His nature—things that are in themselves good, beautiful, and true. Every aspect of creation, whether in heaven or on earth, was originally “very good.” Paul puts it simply: “Every creation of God is good.”
(1 Tim. 4:4). God's character is one of perfect purity; there is not even an iota of darkness or deception in Him (1 John 1:5; James 1:13). And Satan was created as an angel to serve and glorify this great God.
Obviously something went wrong.
Some of God's created angels rebelled against Him.
There are two places in the New Testament that speak of a time when angels rebelled against God and fell into evil and darkness:
God did not spare the angels who sinned, but, having bound them in the bonds of hellish darkness, he handed them over to be judged for punishment. (2 Peter 2:4)
The angels who did not retain their dignity, but left their home, are kept in eternal bonds, under darkness, for the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)
According to Scripture, one day there was a rebellion of angels against the King of Heaven.
Satan has power in the realm of demons.
As the “prince of demons,” it was most likely Satan who initiated and led this heavenly rebellion (Matt. 12:24). And then, Satan is the first sinner, “because the devil sinned first”
(1 John 3:8).
Y; m. and f. [Greek satanas from other Hebrew] 1. [with a capital letter] only m. According to religious beliefs: the head of evil spirits, the embodiment of the evil principle; lord of hell, devil, devil. Satan rules the roost there (book; the forces of evil operate there). □ in comparison... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Heb. sâtân, Aram. sitenâ or sâtânâ, “adversary in court, in a dispute or in war, obstructor, contradictor, accuser, earpiece, instigator”, cf. Arab. shaitan; Greek translation διάβολος, from where Russian devil, German Teufel, “devil”, and Arabic Iblis) ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Husband. devil or devil, demon, unclean, evil spirit, shaitan. Satan, which is his personally; English, related to him. Satanic malice. Satanism, Satanism, devilry, devilry. Satanize, rage, or indulge in satanic affairs; | crumble... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
See... Dictionary of synonyms
Satan
- in hell with the soul of Judas in his hands. Fragment of the Last Judgment icon. Novgorod school. Mid-15th century Satan is in hell with the soul of Judas in his hands. Fragment of the Last Judgment icon. Novgorod school. Mid-15th century in Judaism and Christianity the main antagonist of God and... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"
Dr. Russian Satan σατανᾶς (XIV century, Srezn. III, 263), also Art. glory soton, Russian cslav. soton (Ostrom., Mar., Zogr., Euch. Sin., Supr.); see Diels, Aksl. Gr. 117 et seq.; ancient borrowing from Greek σατανᾶς from other Hebrew. sāṭān; see Vasmer, ... ... Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language by Max Vasmer
- (Hebrew satan). 1) according to sacred scripture, the tempting spirit, the chief of the fallen angels. 2) a genus of monkeys from the family. narrow-nosed. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. SATAN Jewish. satan, from satan, Arabic... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
In Judaism and Christianity, the main antagonist of God and all forces faithful to Him in heaven and on earth, the enemy of the human race, the king of hell and the ruler of demons. In the Old Testament, the word Satan is a common noun. He treats carriers with particular hostility... ... Historical Dictionary
SATAN, satans, many. no, husband (ancient Hebrew: satan enemy). 1. The devil, an evil spirit, the personified evil principle in different creeds (rel.). “Mary, in the silence of the insidious one, listened to Satan.” Pushkin. || A swear word is the same as the devil in 2 meanings. (simple). 2. View... ...Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
SATAN, s, husband. In religious mythology: the same as the devil, and also (simple, male and female) abusive language about a person. S. rules the roost there (the forces of evil operate there; book). Husband and wife alone. (last: their thoughts and behavior are the same). | adj. satanic, aya,... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Satan
- SATAN, s, m Same as the devil. God rules the world, Satan can only rule the carnival ball, whirling, flickering, emptiness (Deacon A. Kuraev) ... Explanatory Dictionary of Russian Nouns
Books
- "Satan" and "Voevoda". The most formidable nuclear weapon, Zheleznyakov Alexander Borisovich. “Satan” is how the Americans nicknamed the Soviet R-36 M combat missile system, the most powerful and advanced ICBM that implemented the strategy of a guaranteed retaliatory strike. 8…
- "Satan" and "Voevoda" The most formidable nuclear weapon in the world, Zheleznyakov A.B. “Satan” (“Satan”) - this is how the Americans nicknamed the Soviet R-36 M combat missile system, the most powerful and advanced ICBM that implemented the strategy of a guaranteed retaliatory strike. 8…
(and Christianity as well) the main antagonist of heavenly forces in general, and God in particular. From Aramaic and ancient Hebrew, this word is translated as “enemy” or “slanderer.” The most common and well-known synonyms for Satan are the Devil, Lucifer and Beelzebub. However, both in the Bible and in life, his other names are often found - the Father of Lies, the Evil One, the Ancient Serpent.
What is Satan? He is the most complete personification of evil, deliberately and consciously pushing a person onto the path of spiritual death. It is curious that in the most ancient manuscripts of the Ancient Testament this word is written with a small letter and is a common noun - like an adjective. And only from the book of Zechariah we speak about a specific entity that has this name.
The Real God vs. the Father of Lies Satan
To better understand the essence of the question, why God did not destroy Satan, but cast him down to earth, remember that we are created in the image and likeness. Don't we make mistakes? Yes, as much as you like. So God, having set out on the path of knowing himself, was not immune from them. He is the main experimenter in the universe.
And he is not capable of committing a sin to kill his creation, Qatar is a thousand times right. Therefore, as punishment, Satan was cast down to earth. Note that he wanted this himself. The Almighty even made him the master of the earthly and heavenly boundaries around her. Most likely, no one stopped Satan from erecting his throne on the clouds. Isn't this what Satan wanted? That is, God fulfilled all the wishes of the father of lies. But this did not make his fate any easier.
Why? Yes, because Satan chose lies as his main weapon against God and received his true name - the father of lies. This is what the bookish man Commissar Qatar reflects the essence of Satan:
“Satan was also created, and God cannot kill creation - this is beyond his power. Creation can kill itself, which Satan does, since its end is known - it will be subject to suspended animation - frozen... What does Satan have at his disposal? But nothing. An army that has fallen away from its purpose does not have the strength to rule over anyone. There are no demon possessed people. The whole power of the Evil One is that he brings confusion and deception into the minds and souls of people. But any lie is something that does not exist, an obsession. And the obsession will definitely pass sooner or later.”
How did he appear
How did Satan appear? If we consider the origin of this entity, then it would be most fair to use its other name - Lucifer. Lightbringer, if you're interested in translation (or Lightbringer). And, yes, originally an angel. We won’t retell the story of Adam and Eve; it’s better to dwell on its consequences. So, the first couple of people were expelled from Heaven to earth, and Lucifer was expelled to Hell. Those who want to understand this issue in more detail will be surprised to learn that he did not go there alone - about a third of the angels’ personnel followed the leader. The Fallen, as they were later called, acquired the essence of demons, demons and devils - according to the surrounding environment. The apocrypha of Scripture cites the fact that another third of the angels took neutrality and did not accept either side of the conflict. They were also expelled - but only from Heaven until the Last Judgment.
Why God did not destroy Satan, but cast him to earth
Let's begin, not in chronological order, to understand the nature and essence of Satan, but try to answer a difficult question: why did God, when Satan manifested himself as universal evil, not destroy him? Yes, he didn’t kill, but threw him to the ground. One could say, on our heads. But Satan became the master of the earth before the angels of the People, that is, people, were here. Remember the story about Eve's seduction? This is how he recruited recruits in heaven for his army on earth.
But let us return to the question of the apparent powerlessness of the Almighty God in relation to evil. Indeed, God would have struck Satan with mortal lightning and that would have been the end of it.
He is quite capable of this. “After all, God is an abbreviation: Past, Present, Future - three states of time. Is it difficult to do something with time? – says Commissioner Qatar. And he continues. – The Holy Scriptures repeatedly testify to God’s ability to do whatever He wants. In this regard, the Lord is called not only strong, but also Omnipotent and Almighty. However, God “cannot” do something. For example: cannot deny Himself, cannot die, cannot lie, cannot sin at all. That is, God himself has strength, but he also has insurmountable obstacles over which he is powerless. To kill something created is to sin. God is not capable of this."
A little history
What is Satan, Satanism? Some semblance of the cult of Satanism appeared almost immediately after the formation of the most widespread world religions. This is evidenced by data from the Blue Book discovered in Ancient Iraq. With the spread of Christianity throughout Europe, the number of corresponding sects began to increase. For example, the German Emperor Gerich IV not only himself took part in the ancient analogues of black masses, but also actively tried to involve his wife in this matter. Then the Inquisition appeared, and the sky seemed like a sheepskin to all the real Satanists. Ordinary people and nobles were dragged to the stake for ordinary and unsubstantiated denunciations - to say nothing of real cults, albeit scattered ones. With the Renaissance, things began to become simpler, and those in power began to embrace the forbidden. For example, under Louis XIV, a Satanic lodge existed almost openly. By the way, it is believed that it was at this time that a greater number of human sacrifices were made by the servants of this cult.
The essence of Satan is not good, light, love, but their opposite
Did Satan Get What He Wanted? To a large extent yes, I think so. But this is just my opinion, yours may be the opposite. However, my judgment is confirmed by holy scripture:
“Satan, who was an elder in the order, became the head of the earthly order [of demons] and received power over the earth. From the beginning, created by God, [Satan] was not evil, but good, but he could not endure the fate that befell him from the Creator. He perverted his nature with an autocratic will, rebelled in thought against God the Creator, opposed Him in thought and, becoming the first apostate, came to his destruction and fell from good to evil, because of self-will he became darkness and was rejected with shame.”
It seems that everything is clearly and definitely said here: “and received power over the earth.” But here is the continuation of the words from scripture:
“And many of his subordinates from the mentioned angelic order fell and lost power, for an army that has fallen away from its purpose has no power to rule over anyone.”
This is a very important point from holy scripture for our entire conversation about the essence of Satan and his machinations. His army, and in fact he himself, “does not have the power to control anyone.” And, nevertheless, he owns the souls of people and tries in every possible way to get more and more of them. People make a deal with Satan and sell him their immortal soul. Although it is obvious to them that the essence of Satan is not good, light, love, but their opposite.
“The Lord took away their GLORY and honor, took away the light that was on them before, and turned them into spirits of darkness; He allowed them to have the air element.”
And Crowley came
As time passed, new ideas captured the minds of mankind, new philosophical concepts were developed. Some of the most interesting works within the framework of this material can be considered the works of Aleister Crowley (the creators of the series “Supernatural” also apparently read them). At his core, the man was engaged in the occult in a fairly broad sense of the word. The term “Satanism” did not appear in any of his works - after all, even at the end of the 19th century, this could get you into a lot of trouble. But the general concept and philosophy of his works became the cornerstone on which another very enterprising person would later raise a lot of money.
Witchcraft
But if idols don't work, then why do people still believe in curses and the evil eye? It is hard to explain. There have always been scammers in the world who did not want to earn money honestly and for this reason they resorted to deception. They promised a person wealth, health, happiness and success. Moreover, there was no need to do anything, just pay the sorceress. This approach suited everyone, so witchcraft spread everywhere. Whether devils exist in real life or not, people were not interested. They agreed to make deals with the devil, because for this they received moral satisfaction and dreams of fulfilling all their desires. But people did not always ask sorcerers for happiness for themselves. Often people wanted to damage the person who treated them badly. As a result, conspiracies and damage appeared. Whether they work is up to everyone to decide for themselves. But experts say that this is all nonsense and fiction. Diseases are not sent to people by the devil or those people who are supposedly associated with him.
LaVey as the founder of modern Satanism
In the modern world we can say that Satan is Anton Szandor LaVey. He is the founder of modern Satanism and the Church of Satan, the author of the Satanic Bible and generally an extremely charismatic person. At his lectures in America, he packed stadiums, advised (in the broadest sense of the word) Marilyn Monroe and, according to rumors, other representatives of the American post-war elite. And if Crowley could be called a philosopher, then LaVey is, first of all, a successful businessman. Yes, he systematized Alistair’s works and other materials, giving them a single direction and essence in his works. Yes, he founded the Church of Satan on Walpurgis Night in 1966. But in the harsh world of capitalism, ideology alone cannot get you far. It’s sad to say, but any church first of all cares about its own well-being, and not about the souls of parishioners. And the Church of Satan in this sense was no exception - LaVey’s organization brought in not just good, but very good money. By the way, it still brings it now, but more on that below. Well, the Norn sisters had a very successful joke - on October 29, 1997, LaVey died in St. Mary's Hospital. Followers tried to change the date of death so that it would fall on Halloween, but it didn’t work out - they couldn’t give the end of the founder’s life a mystical connotation.
Idolatry
Do you want to become successful and rich? Then start working. Some people waste their lives in vain. They wonder if the devil exists. They look for evidence of this existence in books, in films and in life. Why are they wasting time on this? Have you noticed how people in church ask the icon for health, happiness or success? So, some people worship not the saints, but the devil. And since they do not find the image of the devil, they collect idols. It is foolish to turn to otherworldly evil forces for help. But if a person can convince himself of something, then, most likely, his conviction will actually come true. For example, a person may promise her idol that she is willing to sacrifice success in her personal life if everything goes well in her career. As a result, the woman becomes the director of the enterprise, but her personal life does not work out. She sincerely scolds her stupidity and curses the idol. But in reality, she herself does not allow herself to be happy. You need to understand that beliefs can always be changed and idols too.
Church of Satan
As mentioned above, the organization created by LaVey is doing great to this day. This is the Church of Satan. A lot of parishioners, participation in public events, the most significant of which can be called the installation of a statue of Baphomet about three meters high in the central part of Detroit. The current head is Peter Gilmour, during breaks he plays good music in the death metal band Acheron (guess the theme of the songs three times). Three main holidays: two common to everyone - Walpurgis Night and Halloween, one purely personal for each novice - the day of initiation into the secrets of the cult. Benches with inverted crosses and corresponding literature, regular services that are distorted copies of Catholic ones - a completely standard set of any church trying to extract more money from parishioners.
How to protect yourself from the devil?
Satan – who is he and does he exist? Regardless of the answer you give to this question, you should follow some rules so as not to fall for his bait and live happily.
- Kindness. Never wish your friends or even your enemies anything bad. Even if they treated you very badly, try to understand and forgive. Who will feel better from your bad thoughts? No one. So try not to let them into your head. Do good deeds and do not skimp on them, even for those whom you consider unworthy of warmth. Remember, the angrier a person is, the more unhappy he is.
- Honesty. Do not lie. In order to be happy, you need to be frank with everyone. Then you won’t have to remember to whom, about what, and what exactly you lied to. Life will be simpler and more interesting.
- Don't wonder. High self-esteem is good, but a person who considers himself superior to others is rarely happy. The less you show off your intelligence and your happiness, the better and calmer your life will be.
Sign of Lucifer
The sign of Satan has been known since ancient times. This is a pentagram. Many “fighters against evil” perceive it as an ordinary Victorian pentagram with one ray at the top. In fact, this is not so - just the correct satanic pentagram has two rays in its upper part, and one in the lower part (you can see a photo of this sign below). The image of the head of Baphomet, one of the material incarnations of Satan in our world, easily fits into it. The two upper rays are the horns, the lower one is the beard, and the side ones are the ears. And in no way is an inverted cross a satanic sign - just remember that the Apostle Peter was crucified on just such a structure, so this cannot in any way be a symbol of Satanism.
Are the devil and evil forces the same thing?
Our ancestors are accustomed to believing that the world is filled with invisible creatures. And each of them was responsible for one or another area of activity. Thinking about whether the devil really exists, people decided that he does. If there was a God, then there was a devil. This creature still lives among us and tempts good citizens. The devil is considered the representative of all evil forces. No matter what bad happens to a person, he sincerely believes that it is the work of the devil. Stupid? Maybe. With the fall of church power over the minds of citizens, people stopped believing in religious superstitions. There is no argument in scripture, and everything has to be taken on faith. Modern man does not intend to make such an agreement. Therefore, today you can increasingly hear the opinion that the devil does not exist, and evil forces are nothing more than negative energy that a person has earned for himself by committing certain sins.
Black Bible
The Bible of Satan is LaVey's main work, to which he dedicated his entire life. Divided into four main volumes - the books of Satan, Lucifer, Belial and Leviathan, respectively. The main book of a Satanist can be easily found on the Internet, including in Russian. The work denies a number of Christian commandments, in particular forgiveness of enemies, and places a fairly strong emphasis on people’s selfish aspirations. You can read this book and be surprised to learn that many of the habits of the most ordinary person are quite consistent with what the author calls Satanism. Not for a weak and unstable psyche - let's say right away that it is better not to read such literature for people who are suggestible. For the rest, it is quite recommended - banal for informational purposes. Generally a reference book for sociopaths.
Satan's servants are demons. Why are they called that?
From the holy book of the Old Believers, Palaia Tolkova, it follows that Satan’s apostasy from God occurred on the fourth day of creation. When Jehovah created the luminaries by which the calendar and time would be counted. But there were no people on earth yet. Dennitsa was followed to earth by angels of the 10th rank of angels, whom he commanded. They then became the uncomplaining servants of Satan on earth. But from now on they ceased to be fiery spirits - heavenly angels, but became demons.
“Why are the fallen angelic ranks called demons? Today there are many interpretations by those who do not understand the Russian language. Be - he was, she was, it was; beh – I was, was; behom – we were; demon - I was. That is, the demon is just a former one. Read Dostoevsky’s “Demons” and you will understand that everything there is former... Lawlessness is a former limit or there is simply no limit. Demons are FORMER. The expelled angels who fell from heaven are FORMER angels of the 10th rank. They are no longer there, literally at all. And it’s never expected.”
There is room in heaven only for the army of God, that is, His property. The property is God's own mouth. There is no place for those who were there.
Satan in human form
And since we’re talking about films, we can’t ignore the “Omen” series of films. The Antichrist has come to our world, the man Satan is striving for power to destroy all of humanity in the fire of a nuclear war. An original but controversial concept, Satanic possession is not found in credible sources of any age. Demons of varying strength - as many as you like, but Lucifer himself - no. As for the procedure for calling Satan into our world or into the human shell, you can also find a lot of “useful and absolutely reliable” information on this topic on the Internet. Of course, Satanism and demonology have quite large areas of overlap, but explain - why call the most important thing? To buy groceries in a store, communication with the seller is enough, and only in the most controversial cases does the director get involved - we hope the example is clear?
Satan was an angel and archangel, and Jesus was the Son of God
Through lies and deceit, sweet messengers, indulging base passions and lust, Satan gains power over people. He has no other power and no other weapons. This is what every person, every person from the rank of angels living in a human body should understand and realize. The essence of Satan is lawlessness in relation to man.
Yes, he is your master and commands you as he wants if you succumb to his temptation. And here there is no one to blame but yourself. It was for our salvation that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth. For spiritual help in our daily struggle and the tempter. Having died physically on the cross in agony for our sins, and then resurrected spiritually, Jesus completely and finally defeated Satan.
Sincere believers in Jesus Christ must trust in the mercy of God. Then they are inaccessible to the wiles of Satan:
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven: Now has come salvation and power and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, because the slanderer of our brethren is cast out, who slandered them before our God day and night. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and did not love their souls even to death. So rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!”
People are given the opportunity to experience in their own skin all the consequences of their trust in the promises and lies of Satan. It is worthy to pass the test on earth in a mortal, material human body. And, finally, return to where Jehovah is impatiently waiting for them - to the tenth angelic rank or Eden. That place in heaven where man was born.
Satanism in Russia
Who is Satan? Are there any known facts of his worship in Russia? The topic is interesting and quite extensive. Let's start with the most important thing - the official representation of the Church of Satan on the territory of our country and the countries of the former USSR is not registered. But nature abhors a vacuum - for example, in the vastness of the RuNet there is a portal for the largest organization of a similar type. Officially registered, if anything, with its own printed materials and periodicals - for very substantial money, by the way. They are collecting money to build their own building, but something tells us that the business will not work out. We're not Detroit, so a chain of "accidental" fires can follow construction from the moment it begins. And Orthodox activists can quickly wean parishioners from going to “this ungodly place” - in general, the activities of both this organization and its other analogues are unlikely to go beyond the site.
Who is Satan and how is he perceived by modern youth? As for such a phenomenon as teenage Satanism, at present it is pure hooliganism - administratively or criminally punishable. The sacrifice of domestic animals, vandalism of monuments and churches - all this can be safely described by one saying - “a bad head does not give rest to the hands.” Yes, girls of “light moral views” are attracted to the corresponding black “outfit” and pentagrams in the most unexpected places; orgies with alcohol and drugs attract many. But what prevents you from doing the same thing, but in a less extreme environment, is completely unclear.
How Satan rules the earth and the world
How Satan rules the earth and the world, I believe, can be understood from his desires. The Eternal God, if I understand the situation correctly, realized his desire to become its master. He was deprived of the right to go beyond its borders, but on the earth itself no one limited his will.
Remember, Satan, “he was filled with pride and thought: “How beautiful the universe is, but I don’t see any inhabitants on it; I will come to the earth and take it, and I will possess it, and I will be like God, and I will set my throne on the clouds.”
What lies behind this ambitious desire of the tempter to place a throne on the clouds? It is obvious. Control the earthly elements and block the sun at will, control the onset of day and night, that is, earthly time.
And time is GOD. This, I remind you, is the past, the present (present) and the future. Satan set his sights on taking over the place of Christ, creating sunrises and sunsets on earth, and controlling the light. “That is, to cover being, measure, meaning and law,” sums up Qatar.
Why "The Devil's Bible"
As we can see, the book does not contain any horror with the exception of the portrait of Satan. This is partly why it was called the Devil's Bible. Also, this name comes from the legend of writing, in which the Devil himself allegedly participated.
Another version according to which it follows that the book deserved its name is the already described mass death of the inhabitants of the town of Kutna Hora.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find out what is on the 8 pages in front of the portrait, which are filled with ink. It is also impossible to find out what was written on the 8 stolen pages. Who knows, maybe they were the ones who carried the curse that killed people due to the plague at the beginning of the 14th century.
Currently, only representatives of the National Library of Sweden, where the scriptures are kept, have the right to turn the pages. At the same time, their hands must be gloved, and the pages should be turned over as carefully as possible.
Fortunately, there are several copies of the Devil's Bible that have been brought into a modern format - they contain the same texts and drawings as the original.
The devil was “born” at the intersection of Jewish, Christian and ancient cultures
When was this image born? We don’t know for sure what his birthday is; of course, he doesn’t have one. Jewish sources from the 1st century BC write about an independent evil entity. That is, Jesus Christ was already born in a world where such a myth existed.
But at the same time, this was not yet the devil we know. They had not yet connected him with the serpent from the Garden of Eden, he had not yet been given the features of Astara, but it was already something similar to an evil person with an angelic nature. As we know, this was influenced by the First Book of Enoch.
Christ himself spoke little about the devil and hardly considered this topic worthy of discussion.
And you can always understand that the Savior is not talking about a specific person, but about something abstract, or about something that he does not consider to be the embodiment of absolute evil.
The apostles and Christian theologians developed the idea of the devil more strongly. But it was truly felt “at home” in the ancient world. After all, from the cradle they knew about the gods cursed by Zeus, so in the myth of the fallen angels they saw something familiar, understandable and even dear.
On the contrary
Before the emergence of monotheism, the Mediterranean was dominated by cults of divine married couples, whose rites ritually reproduced the act of creation of the world through the combination of male and female principles, personified in specific deities. Among the Phoenicians it was the cult of Baal and Astarte. The priests in the temples reproduced their marital union. The rituals were orgiastic in nature (including same-sex intercourse), sometimes accompanied by self-mutilation (castration) and human sacrifices.
Jewish monotheism since the time of Abraham was formed as a sharp antithesis to such cults. Moreover, the rejection was so serious that when the ruler Moses saw that part of his people had returned to the cults of Baal (Golden Calf), many were executed for this.
Therefore, some elements of these ancient cults during the times of the Jews and then the Christians began to be associated with evil. Since ancient rituals assumed the presence of a divine married couple (the Father-Creator and the Great Mother), and monotheism excluded the feminine principle from theology and worship, some attributes of the Father-Creator and all the attributes of the Great Mother were transferred to the area of associations with evil and immorality.
Some ancient attributes of the Creator Father that were associated with evil:
- Phallus. Pagan cults inherited obvious sexual symbolism from ancient rites. Orgies and temple prostitution were condemned. Along with them, the main symbols of these rituals were also “condemned”
- Fire. The Phoenicians and other peoples of the Mediterranean sacrificed people (including children and the elderly) by setting them on fire. Therefore, fire, one of the main ancient symbols of the Father-Creator, acquired a negative connotation among monotheists and “descended” to hell, which in turn was the “brother” of the Greek kingdom of Hades, in which there was no fire, but it was dark and damp, as in normal mountain cave
- Horns. Ancient people chose animals as their “icons” of deity. For the Father-Creator they chose the largest and most powerful animals, including a cave bear, a giant deer, and a bull. The use of large horned animals cemented the attitude towards horns in general (of any animal) as an attribute of a deity. Since Baal as an idol had the appearance of a bull (or a bull-man), horns as an ancient divine attribute, through the condemnation of the cult of Baal, also migrated to the category of “evil” symbols.
The above attributes of the ancient Father-Creator and all the attributes of the Great Mother (female organs, dungeon, cave, snake, serpent, reptile, dragon, darkness, night, moon, etc.) migrated to the “evil” and “immoral” region and combined with the images "Satan" and "devil".
When in the West, under the influence of the strengthening of trade and usurious capitalism, monotheistic religions (Christianity and Judaism) began to collapse, occult heresies and various forms of neo-paganism emerged from the underground, some of which used the image of Satan the devil in their practice.
What is written about
The knowledge that the Benedictine Order possessed needed to be systematized and recorded, which is why, in all likelihood, the writing of the book began. No one could have guessed how long it would take, or what the size of the manuscript would be.
The Devil's Bible opens with the Old Testament, followed by the works of I. Flavius ("Jewish Antiquities", "Jewish War"), I. Seville ("Etymologies"), treatises on medical topics, the New Testament, instructions in repentance. After the instructions, the entire page depicts the Heavenly City and the devil, whose figure is drawn with the smallest details. These two pictures are the largest, the rest of the pictures are smaller.
The pages following the drawings are occupied by a description of the ritual of exorcism, the work of K. Prague (“Czech Chronicle”), the Charter of the Order (sheets cut out), a special calendar for calculations, a memorial list and a list of monks.
As you can see, the manuscript contains knowledge accumulated by that time in various fields - biblical texts about the creation of the world, church history, knowledge in the field of medicine, reasoning about the origin and meaning of words. The detailed depiction of the devil and the described exorcism ritual can be interpreted as recommendations for protection against dark forces.
The devil looked like an angel, but gradually absorbed the features of pagan gods
The image of the devil is gradually overlaid with features of pagan deities. What else can you do with them?
- Astarte turns into the demon Astaroth;
- Baal into the evil demon Baal;
- Demons - spirits, in Greek, become synonymous with an evil immaterial being.
Christians are at war with pagans. Greek deities are equated with demons and the devil. Here is an important quote from Revelation for us:
“And write to the angel of the church of Pergamum: thus says He who has a sharp sword on both sides: I know your works, and that you live where the throne of Satan is, and that you uphold My name, and have not denied My faith even in those days in which you, where Satan dwells, My faithful witness Antipas was put to death.”
(Rev. 2:11–12)
Pergamon is one of the cultural centers of the ancient world. In addition to the famous library, there were many temples located here.
The ruins of Pergamum - the city where the appearance of Satan and demons was formed. Photo: bigenc.ru
What was called the throne of Satan? There are several options:
- the entire complex of pagan temples;
- the great altar of Zeus near the royal palace;
- Temple of Dionysus (Bacchus).
The Pergamon Altar may have been called the “throne of Satan” in the Bible.
Photo: toberlin.ru Bacchus is the goat god. To the early Christians he may well have been something of a devil. But next door another “goat” cult of Astara was fading. Plus the First Book of Enoch reported about the goat Azazel. This is how Satan acquired the features of a goat.
Bacchus (Dionysus) - the prototype of the Christian form of the devil
Although they did not immediately gain a foothold in iconography. Until the Middle Ages, Satan was portrayed as an angel, and then it was necessary to make his image more terrible. The trident of Poseidon, goat features, bat wings and everything you can think of were used.
Let's say Hades lived in the kingdom of the dead. It was a creepy and hopeless place where no one wanted to go. Isn't it the best place to "settle" the devil? They settled him, but they forgot that, according to the Bible, he is in our world, in heaven, anywhere, but not in hell.
The last stage in the formation of the appearance of the devil was the fictional demon Baphomet. Nobody knows where it came from. But everyone knows what he looks like. The Templars were accused of worshiping him. They believe it was done intentionally to slander them. This was a way to get to their wealth.
Baphomet is a demon invented by the Inquisition to discredit the Templars. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org
Baphomet goes back to Pan, Astarte and other “goat” gods. This image was clearly always remembered somewhere on the periphery of the Christian world. Or maybe some archaeological finds of those years revived the memory of old deities. Although Baphomet is a fiction, his image would later, foolishly, become a symbol of Satanism.
The devil is not a title or a name, but a role. Anyone can do it
The devil is not a name or even a position, but a situational role - “slanderer.” Each of us is capable of acting as a slanderer in one situation or another, but this does not make us a demonic creature.
The word "devil" was used to translate the word "Satan" in the Old Testament into Greek. The difference in loss of meaning is palpable:
- the accuser is the one who rightly points out the shortcomings;
- a slanderer is a liar interested in taxing someone unfairly.
What impression of the Old Testament angel should have formed in the ancient language field?
Another meaning of the word “devil” is “inciter.” Again, there is nothing demonic or diabolical here. That's how much translation means!
Another word from the Greek Bible that is associated with the devil is πονηρος. It is translated into Russian as “evil.” But in general, the following options are acceptable: “bad”, “evil”, “bad”.
It turns out that the parable of the sower can be understood metaphorically:
“To everyone who hears the word about the Kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart - this is who is meant by what was sown along the way.”
(Matt. 13:19)
Those. It is not the evil devil who comes to steal the heart, but evil that takes possession of the heart. And this is a completely different emphasis: instead of blaming an external force for his shortcomings, a person should look for the root of the problems in himself. Which of these thoughts is more Christian?
In The Devil, artist Tim Hildebrandt depicts the modern concept of the devil. It is cosmically far from everything that the Bible tells us, and consists of the attributes of various pagan deities. Photo: artchive.ru
The texts of the New Testament are predominantly reduced not to the existence of some evil personified force opposed to God or man, but to abstract evil.
We see that for Christ there is no problem in the form of the devil. He, as you can see, is much more concerned about the negative impact of wealth on a person than some monster with a trident.
In any place, the image of the devil easily fits into an allegorical picture. Expressions like “prince of demons” are not used by Jesus, but by the Pharisees. “Prince of this world” is also a rather abstract expression.
