Question:
Is Satan an obedient angelic messenger or a willfully rebellious seducer of people away from following the Word of God?
Answer:
M - Messenger
W - Willful
Let's start by clarifying the term "satan" which appears in 3 different forms in Bible verses:
verses mentioning "hasatan השטן" - best translated as "the satan" or "the adversary" or "the evil inclination" (not a proper personal noun/name)
verses mentioning "satan שטן" - could mean "a satan" or "an adversary" or "an evil inclination" or some entity named "Satan"
verses that do not contain the word "satan" at all but refer to an evil entity in the spiritual realm called by various names incluing serpent, fallen angel, false god, dragon, angel of death, and father of lies
We know that God is Creator of all and supervises everything:
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם
וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒
כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים
בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל
וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת
אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃
דברים ד:לט
And know therefore this day
and keep it in your heart
that HaShem is the God
in the heavens above
and on the earth below;
there is no other.
Deuteronomy 4:39
יְהוָ֖ה מֵמִ֣ית וּמְחַיֶּ֑ה
מוֹרִ֥יד שְׁא֖וֹל וַיָּֽעַל׃
שמואל א ב:ו
HaShem kills and gives life,
lowers to Sheol and raises up.
1 Samuel 2:6
וַיֹּאמֶר֩
עָרֹ֨ם יצתי [יָצָ֜אתִי] מִבֶּ֣טֶן אִמִּ֗י
וְעָרֹם֙ אָשׁ֣וּב שָׁ֔מָה
יְהוָ֣ה נָתַ֔ן
וַיהוָ֖ה לָקָ֑ח
יְהִ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה מְבֹרָֽךְ׃
איוב א:כא
And he said,
“Naked I came I out of my mother’s womb,
and naked I will return there,
HaShem has given,
and HaShem has taken away;
blessed be the name of HaShem.”
Job 1:21
אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין ע֔וֹד זוּלָתִ֖י אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲאַזֶּרְךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽנִי׃
לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְע֗וּ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וּמִמַּ֣עֲרָבָ֔הּ כִּי־אֶ֖פֶס בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד׃
יוֹצֵ֥ר אוֹר֙ וּבוֹרֵ֣א חֹ֔שֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁל֖וֹם וּב֣וֹרֵא רָ֑ע אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עֹשֶׂ֥ה כָל־אֵֽלֶּה׃
ישעיה מד:ה-ז
I am HaShem and there is none else,
beside Me there are no gods;
I engird you,
and you have not known Me.
That they may know,
from the east and the west of the sun,
that there is nothing without Me;
I am HaShem and there is none else.
I form light and create darkness,
I make peace and create evil;
I HaShem do all these things.
Isaiah 45:5-7
Jews often view spiritual entities that entice us away from the ways of God as obstacles to challenge us and help us grow stronger (functioning like jumps in a horse arena or weights in a gym). Our souls develop by overcoming adversity - we need to experience darkness to recognize light, feel cold to value warmth, and know loneliness to appreciate love.
The Hebrew word "מלאך" means both "angel" and "messenger"; this relates to the Rabbinic teaching that angels do not have free will. However Jews recognize that angels can sin by not understanding their mission or by trying to gain greater power than the positions God created them in.
Christians sometimes view Satan as an evil god fighting with the good God. But Scripture makes it clear that the One true God is all powerful and can easily eliminate any enemy. Whatever is or seems evil is allowed by God. Let's explore the Word to seek the answer to our question about whether angelic beings in the spiritual realm have free will motivation and choice.
To clarify our question, let's ask it in different ways:
Are there beings in the heavenly realm operating with free will trying to separate us from our Creator?
Do angels act out of personal volition rather than entirely according to the will of God?
Do the spiritual entities that entice us to depart from knowing & believing & following the Word of God have intrinsic motivation to possess power and influence people?
Now for Bible verses for us to consider. We'll ask each verse our question: Is the satan an obedient angelic Messenger or a Willfully rebellious seducer of people away from following the Word of God? (Just so happens that M and W are similar shapes facing opposite directions.)
M - Messenger on mission from God to challenge us to grow stronger in discerning truth, overcoming lies, and living by faith
W - Willful entity trying to gain power and seduce us to follow the evil inclination יצר הרע rather than the good inclination יצר הטוב that aligns with Word of God
בראשית א:ב
Genesis 1:2
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ
וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם
וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
And the earth was tohu and vohu,
and darkness over surface of abyss;
and the Spirit of God hovering over the surface of the water.
the darkness and abyss are God's creation because there is nothing else
this precedes God speaking light into existence in the following verse
there is no personal entity here to be either W or M
בראשית ג:א
Genesis 3:1
וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם מִכֹּל֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה
אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה
אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים
לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃
And the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals
that HaShem God had made;
and he said to the woman,
“Did God really say:
Do not eat of any tree of the garden?”
the serpent here seems to be an intelligent creature acting according to his own desires
W
בראשית ג:טו
Genesis 3:15
וְאֵיבָ֣ה אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה
וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין זַרְעָ֑הּ
ה֚וּא יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ
וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב׃
I will put loathing between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed;
he will crush your head,
and you will crush his heel.”
a being with no personal motivation could not feel loathing/hatred
it makes no sense for God to punish the serpent for merely doing his job as tempter of our evil inclination and twister of God's Word
emotion and punishment imply free will desire and choice
W
במדבר כב:כב
Numbers 22:22
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֣ף אֱלֹהִים֮ כִּֽי־הוֹלֵ֣ךְ הוּא֒
וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֞ב מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ
לְשָׂטָ֣ן ל֑וֹ
וְהוּא֙ רֹכֵ֣ב עַל־אֲתֹנ֔וֹ
וּשְׁנֵ֥י נְעָרָ֖יו עִמּֽוֹ׃
And the anger of God flared at his going,
and the angel of HaShem was stationed in the way
as a satan to him;
and he was riding on his female donkey,
and his two servants were with him.
angel of God serves as a satan/adversary/obstacle blocking Bilaam
spiritual messenger manifesting in material realm to act according to will of God
M
במדבר כב:לא
Numbers 22:31
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה
עַל־מָ֗ה הִכִּ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔ זֶ֖ה שָׁל֣וֹשׁ רְגָלִ֑ים
הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ יָצָ֣אתִי לְשָׂטָ֔ן
כִּֽי־יָרַ֥ט הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃
And the angel of HaShem said to him,
“For what have you beaten your ass these three times?
Behold I came out as a satan,
because the path diverged in front of me."
angel of God serves as a satan/adversary/obstacle blocking Bilaam in order to correct his path
M
שמואל א כט:ד
1 Samuel 29:4
וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּ עָלָ֜יו שָׂרֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים
וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים
הָשֵׁ֣ב אֶת־הָאִ֗ישׁ
וְיָשֹׁב֙ אֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹ שָׁ֔ם
וְלֹֽא־יֵרֵ֤ד עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה
וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ לְשָׂטָ֖ן בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה
וּבַמֶּ֗ה יִתְרַצֶּ֥ה זֶה֙ אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔יו
הֲל֕וֹא בְּרָאשֵׁ֖י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵֽם׃
And the Philistine officers were angry with him;
and the Philistine officers said to him,
“Send the man back,
and he will return to his place where you assigned him
and he will not go down with us in the battle,
and he will not be as a satan to us in the battle;
and with what could that man appease his lord
if not with the heads of those men?"
here the Philistines are worried about David becoming a satan/adversary to them
refers to a human with free will being compared to an entity in the spiritual realm
W
שמואל ב יט:כג
2 Samuel 19:23
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד
מַה־לִּ֤י וְלָכֶם֙ בְּנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֔ה
כִּי־תִֽהְיוּ־לִ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם לְשָׂטָ֑ן
הַיּ֗וֹם י֤וּמַת אִישׁ֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
כִּ֚י הֲל֣וֹא יָדַ֔עְתִּי
כִּ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם אֲנִי־מֶ֥לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And David said,
“What is it to me and to you sons of Zeruiah,
that you should be to me today as a satan;
today should a man in Israel be put to death?
Because surely I know
that today I am king over Israel?”
King David refers to the sons of Zeruiah (his sister) as being like a satan/adversary/tempter for wanting him to kill Shimi (from the tribe of Binyamin, family of Shaul)
the sons of Zeruiah who have free will and are personally motivated by fear and desire for power are being compared to an entity in the spiritual realm
W
מלכים א ה:יח
1 Kings 5:18
וְעַתָּ֕ה הֵנִ֨יחַ יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛י לִ֖י מִסָּבִ֑יב
אֵ֣ין שָׂטָ֔ן וְאֵ֖ין פֶּ֥גַע רָֽע׃
And now HaShem my God has given me rest all around;
there is no satan and no evil injury.
Solomon prepares to build Temple for HaShem
God has given him respite from Satan/a satan/an adversary
Satan/adversary here seems to act according to his own will yet is clearly restrainable by God
M+W
מלכים א יא:יד
1 Kings 11:14
וַיָּ֨קֶם יְהוָ֤ה שָׂטָן֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה
אֵ֖ת הֲדַ֣ד הָאֲדֹמִ֑י
מִזֶּ֧רַע הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ ה֖וּא בֶּאֱדֽוֹם׃
And HaShem raised up a satan against Solomon,
Hadad the Edomite;
from the seed of the king in Edom.
God becomes angry after Solomon is led astray by his many wives and turns his heart to false gods
God appoints Satan/a satan/an adversary in the spiritual realm to work through the flesh of Hadad who is a man with free will
M+W
דברי הימים כא:א
1 Chronicles 21:1
וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֥ד שָׂטָ֖ן עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
וַיָּ֙סֶת֙ אֶת־דָּוִ֔יד
לִמְנ֖וֹת אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Satan stood against Israel;
and incited David
to count Israel.
Satan/a satan/an adversary/an evil inclination provokes David to take a census
in parallel passage 2 Samuel 24:1 HaShem is angry and provokes David to take this census
seems this spiritual force is on a mission from God to challenge and discipline His people
M
איוב א:ו
Job 1:6
וַיְהִ֣י הַיּ֔וֹם
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים לְהִתְיַצֵּ֖ב עַל־יְהוָ֑ה
וַיָּב֥וֹא גַֽם־הַשָּׂטָ֖ן בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
And it was the day
the sons of God came to assemble before HaShem;
and the satan also came among them.
here and in other verses in Job chapters 1-2 the satan/adversary participates in the divine council
the satan serves as accuser roaming the earth to see who is obeying God
the satan seduces people to sin against God then prosecutes those who succumb
the satan here is both doing his job and internally motivated
he is clearly limited and restrainable by God
M+W
איוב א:ו
Job 38:6-7
עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ
א֥וֹ מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃
On what were its foundations fastened,
or who set its cornerstone?
בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כּ֣וֹכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר
וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃
When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God clapped for joy.
in Job 38 God answers Job out of a storm giving perspective on divine omnipotence and man's limited understanding
in verses 4-7 God asks where Job was when He laid the earth's foundation
shows spiritual beings existing before formation of the material world
the cornerstone seems to be the Stone the builders rejected
the morning stars bring to mind one of them mentioned in Isaiah 14:12-14 (see below)
here all the divine beings are praising God's creation
praise is only meaningful from an audience with emotion and free will choice
W
תהילים קג:כא
Psalms 103:21
בָּרֲכ֥וּ יְהוָ֗ה
מַלְאָ֫כָ֥יו גִּבֹּ֣רֵי כֹ֭חַ עֹשֵׂ֣י דְבָר֑וֹ
לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗עַ בְּק֣וֹל דְּבָרֽוֹ׃
Bless HaShem,
O His angels, mighty creatures
who do His word;
obeying the voice of His word.
this verse gets cited as a basis for Rabbinic teaching that angels do not have free will
but it hints that some mighty angels might not be obedient to the voice of God's word
blessings would be meaningless from beings with no free will (compare programming a robot to praise you and say good things will happen)
M+W
ישעיה יד:יב-יד
Isaiah 14:12-14
אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־גּוֹיִֽם׃
How you have fallen from heaven, O shining son of dawn; you have been cut off to earth O commander of nations.
וְאַתָּ֞ה אָמַ֤רְתָּ בִֽלְבָבְךָ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֶֽעֱלֶ֔ה מִמַּ֥עַל לְכֽוֹכְבֵי־אֵ֖ל אָרִ֣ים כִּסְאִ֑י וְאֵשֵׁ֥ב בְּהַר־מוֹעֵ֖ד בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י צָפֽוֹן׃
And you said in your heart. "I will ascend to the heavens higher than the stars of God I will raise my throne; and I will sit on the mount of assembly on the summit of Tzafon.
אֶעֱלֶ֖ה עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי עָ֑ב אֶדַּמֶּ֖ה לְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃
I will ascend over the tops of cloud; I will be like the Most High."
fallen morning star angel related to king of Babylon
full of "I will" with personal pride and greed and desire to ascend to be like God
again spiritual entity acting willfully while clearly restrainable by God
W
יחזקאל כח:טז
Ezekiel 28:16
בְּרֹ֣ב רְכֻלָּתְךָ֗ מָל֧וּ תוֹכְךָ֛ חָמָ֖ס
וַֽתֶּחֱטָ֑א
וָאֶחַלֶּלְךָ֩ מֵהַ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֤ים
וָֽאַבֶּדְךָ֙ כְּר֣וּב הַסֹּכֵ֔ךְ
מִתּ֖וֹךְ אַבְנֵי־אֵֽשׁ׃
By your abundance of goods you were filled with lawlessness,
and you sinned;
and I have degraded you from the mountain of God,
and I have lost you O covering cherub,
from inside stones of fire.
relates fallen covering cherub to king of Tyre
God created this glorious spiritual being which became prideful and rebellious
sin requires free will
again spiritual entity acting willfully while clearly restrainable by God
W
דניאל י:יג
Daniel 10:13
וְשַׂ֣ר מַלְכ֣וּת פָּרַ֗ס עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאֶחָ֣ד י֔וֹם
וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִֽיכָאֵ֗ל אַחַ֛ד הַשָּׂרִ֥ים הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים בָּ֣א לְעָזְרֵ֑נִי
וַאֲנִי֙ נוֹתַ֣רְתִּי שָׁ֔ם אֵ֖צֶל מַלְכֵ֥י פָרָֽס׃
And the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days,
and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me;
and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
God sends a glorious angelic messenger in response to Daniel's prayer
this angel is delayed by the angel of Persia and assisted by Michael, the angel of Israel
the angels here seem to be functioning true to both their assigned roles and personal motivation
here we glimpse the dance between spiritual beings and physical beings coreographed by both free will and sovereignty of God
M+W
זכריה ג:א-ב
Zechariah 3:1-2
וַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל
עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה
וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־יְמִינ֖וֹ לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ׃
And he showed me Joshua, the high priest,
standing before the angel of HaShem,
and the satan standing at his right as a satan to him.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־הַשָּׂטָ֗ן
יִגְעַ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה בְּךָ֙ הַשָּׂטָ֔ן
וְיִגְעַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ בְּךָ֔ הַבֹּחֵ֖ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
הֲל֧וֹא זֶ֦ה א֖וּד מֻצָּ֥ל מֵאֵֽשׁ׃
And HaShem said to the satan,
“HaShem will rebuke you, the satan,
and HaShem who has chosen Jerusalem will rebuke you;
surely this is a firebrand saved from fire.”
end time prophecy with the angel of God cleansing the high priest of sin and giving him new clothes
the satan is being rebuked by God so must have acted willfully and wrongly rather than just doing his duty as accuser
W
הכרזת מתי כה:מא
Matthew 25:41
אָז יֹאמַר לְאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ:
לְכוּ לָכֶם מִמֶּנִּי, אֲרוּרִים,
לְאֵשׁ עוֹלָם הַמּוּכָנָה לַמְקַטְרֵג וּלְמַלְאָכָיו;
Then he will say to those on his left,
"Depart from me, you who are cursed,
to eternal fire prepared for the accuser and his angels.
Yeshua tells parable of separating people from all the nations when he comes in glory
sheep (who cared for those in need) on right and goats (who did not care for those in need) on left
fire here seems to be punishment for humans & the accuser (not called "the satan" here) & his angels who made choices contrary to the Word of God
it would make no sense to program a robot to do something then punish it for that action
W
הכרזת לוקא ד:ה
Luke 4:5
וְהֶעֱלָהוּ הַשָּׂטָן לְהַר גָּבוֹהַּ
וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ אֶת כָּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ בְּרֶגַע קָט
And the satan led him up to a high place
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
in an instant.
the satan/the adversary tempts Yeshua
says nothing about this being directed by God
W
הכרזת לוקא ח:יב
Luke 8:12
הַלָּלוּ שֶׁעַל-יַד הַדֶּרֶךְ,
הֵם הַלָּלוּ אֲשֶׁר שׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר
וּבָא הָאוֹיֵב
וְלוֹקֵחַ אֶת הַדָּבָר מִלִּבָּם,
פֶּן יַאֲמִינוּ וְיִחְיוּ.
Those along the path
are the ones who hear the Word,
and the adversary comes
and takes the Word away from their hearts,
lest they will believe and live.
Yeshua teaches the parable of the sower in which seed (the Word of God) falls on different types of soil (hearers of Word)
in parallel passages it is "the evil הרע" in Matthew 13:19 and "the satan השטן" in Mark 4:15 who comes
this adversary/evil/satan seems willfully motivated to take the Word away from hearts of hearers
W
הכרזת לוקא י:יח
Luke 10:18
וְהוּא אָמַר לָהֶם:
רָאִיתִי אֶת הַשָּׂטָן נוֹפֵל
כְּבָרָק מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.
And he said to them,
“I saw the satan falling
like lightning from the heavens."
Yeshua responds to his talmidim who are enthusiastic about the power of his name over demons
sounds a lot like the passages from Isaiah 14 and Ezekial 28 (see above) about fallen angels
the context here is conflict between willful beings who do and do not heed the Word of God
W
הכרזת יוחנן ח:מד
John 8:44
אַתֶּם מִן הָאָב הַמְקַטְרֵג הִנְּכֶם,
וְאֶת תַּאֲוַת אֲבִיכֶם חֲפֵצִים אַתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת
אֲשֶׁר מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רוֹצֵחַ אָדָם הוּא
וּבָאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד,
מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵין אֱמֶת בּוֹ;
וְכַאֲשֶׁר הוּא מְדַבֵּר כָּזָב,
מִשֶּׁלּוֹ הוּא מְדַבֵּר,
כִּי שַׁקְרָן הוּא,
אַף אֲבִי הַכָּזָב.
Behold you are from the accusing father,
and the desires of your father you want to do
that from beginning he is a murderer
and in the truth he does not stand,
because there is no truth in him;
and when he speaks falsehood,
he speaks from of himself,
for he is a liar,
also the father of the lie.
Yeshua speaks to Jews who claim God is their father yet are not truly hearing His words
the accuser is a spiritual being with desire to kill and propagate lies
W
הכרזת יוחנן יב:לא
כָּעֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּט שֶׁל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה;
כָּעֵת מֻשְׁלָךְ הַחוּצָה שַׂר הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
Now is the time of the judgment of this world;
now the minister of this world is thrown outside.
Yeshua predicts the glorification of God through his own death and resurrection
the minister of this world seems to refer to the satan/adversary being overcome by Messiah
only a willful being needs to be judged or forcibly removed
W
הכרזת יוחנן טז:יא
John 16:11
וְעַל הַמִּשְׁפָּט,
כִּי נִשְׁפָּט שַׂר הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
and about judgment,
because the minister of this world is judged.
context is Yeshua warns his talmidim about coming persecution, tells them he is leaving the world and going back to the Father, promises that the Spirit of truth will guide them and prove the world to be wrong about sin & righteousness & judgment
the minister of this world is elsewhere identified with the satan and could only be appointed to this role by God
only willful action would be judged
M+W
אגרת שאול הראשונה אל הקורינתים י:כ
אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁזּוֹבְחִים עוֹבְדֵי הָאֱלִילִים,
לַשֵּׁדִים הֵם זוֹבְחִים וְלֹא לֵאלֹהִים;
וְאֵינֶנִּי רוֹצֶה שֶׁתִּהְיוּ שֻׁתָּפִים לַשֵּׁדִים.
but the sacrifices of idol worshippers
are sacrificed to the demons and not to God,
and I do not want you to be partners for the demons.
here Paul warns about people honoring idols as their god - rarely as a being who is intentionally worshipped - usually in the form of worldly idols
in this verse people are the ones with free will choice where to direct their offerings, so no M or W designation about spiritual forces of evil
אגרת שאול השניה אל הקורינתים ב:יא
2 Corinthians 2:11
פֶּן יַעֲרִים עָלֵינוּ הַשָּׂטָן,
שֶׁכֵּן יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ אֶת מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו.
lest the satan outwit us,
for we know his interests.
the context here is Paul teaching the importance of love & obedience and forgiveness
the satan is acting as a spiritual entity motivated to deceive us and entice our selfishness & rebellion & anger
W
אגרת שאול השניה אל הקורינתים ד:ד
2 Corinthians 4:4
אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלֹהִים עִוֵּר אֶת שִׂכְלָם
בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה
מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָם מַאֲמִינִים -
כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִזְרַח עֲלֵיהֶם
אוֹר הַבְּשׂוֹרָה שֶׁל כְּבוֹד הַמָּשִׁיחַ
אֲשֶׁר הוּא דְּמוּת הָאֱלֹהִים.
whose minds God has blinded
in this world
because they do not believe -
in order that it will not shine on them,
the light of the gospel of the glory of the Messiah
which is the image of God.
context is Paul teaching about spiritual blindness - the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing
translation matters a lot in this verse!
passages such as Deuteronomy 4:39 and Isaiah 45:7 (see above) make it clear that there is only One God who created all and is sovereign over both good and evil
God has blinded the minds of those who do not believe in this world - as when Pharaoh acknowledged then again denied HaShem after the plague of hail - seems that at some point, if we deny God too much, we lose the ability to see spiritual truth
the title "god" is never given to the satan in Scripture - the spiritual adversary is a limited being without divine attributes - he is not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent - he is created and allowed and restricted by God
people may honor the satan as their god (rarely as a being who is intentionally worshipped, usually in the form of worldly idols) - his dominion is this world - those who follow his lead and promote his purposes are his obedient subjects - he willfully undermines the true Word and seeks be revered in the rightful place of God
saying that the glory of the Messiah is the image of God is not saying that Yeshua is God - all children of Adam are created in image of God - portraying the undefiled image of God is Messiah's source of glory
this verse is not directly mentioning the satan (so no M or W designation) - it is man blinded עִוֵּר rather than seeing the light אוֹר
אגרת שאול השניה אל הקורינתים יא:ג
2 Corinthians 11:3
אֲבָל חוֹשֵׁשׁ אֲנִי
שֶׁמָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִשִּׁיא הַנָּחָשׁ אֶת חַוָּה בְּעָרְמָתוֹ,
כָּךְ תֻּדַּחְנָה מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם
מִן הַתֹּם אֲשֶׁר אֵצֶל הַמָּשִׁיחַ.
But I worry
that as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning,
in this way your thoughts may be seduced
away from the innocence that is with the Messiah.
relates the serpent from Gan Eden to the ongoing satan/adversary/evil in the spiritual realm
motive is to deceive and seduce humans away from the Messiah/Word of God
cunning is clearly willful
W
אגרת שאול השניה אל הקורינתים יא:יד
2 Corinthians 11:14
וְאֵין לְהִתְפַּלֵּא עַל זֹאת;
שֶׁכֵּן אִם הַשָּׂטָן מִתְדַּמֶּה לְמַלְאַךְ הָאוֹר.
And no wonder,
for the satan masquerades as the angel of light.
Paul warns of false teachers posing as emissaries of Messiah
the satan posing as angel of light indicates free will motivation
W
אגרת שאול אל האפסים ב:א-ב
Ephesians 2:1-2
גַּם אֶתְכֶם
שֶׁהֱיִיתֶם מֵתִים בַּחֲטָאֵיכֶם וּבַעֲווֹנוֹתֵיכֶם,
בְּאֵלֶּה שֶׁהֲלַכְתֶּם בָּהֶם לְפָנִים
לְפִי אַרְצִיּוּתוֹ שֶׁל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה
וּלְפִי רְצוֹן רֹאשׁ הַשִּׁלְטוֹן שֶׁל הָאֲוִיר,
שֶׁל הָרוּחַ הַזֹּאת הַפּוֹעֶלֶת בִּבְנֵי הַמֶּרִי
Also you,
who were dead in your sins and transgressions,
in which you previously walked
according to the worldliness of this world
and according to the desire of the head of the authority of the air,
of this spirit who works in the sons of the rebellion
here Paul addresses those who have transitioned from spiritual death (allegiance to worldly ways/spiritual beings promoting disregard of God) to spiritual life (allegiance to faith in Messiah/Word of God)
the head of the authority of the air is the spirit working in the sons of the rebellion
so the leader of these fallen angels is the satan/adversary
desire and rebellion require free will
W
אגרת שאול אל האפסים ו:יא-יב
Ephesians 6:11-12
וְלִבְשׁוּ אֶת כָּל נֶשֶׁק הָאֱלֹהִים
כְּדֵי שֶׁתּוּכְלוּ לַעֲמֹד נֶגֶד תַּחְבּוּלוֹת הַמְקַטְרֵג;
כִּי מַאֲבַקְכֶם אֵינֶנּוּ עִם בָּשָׂר וָדָם,
אֶלָּא עִם רָשֻׁיּוֹת וְעִם שַׁלִּיטִים,
וְעִם מוֹשְׁלֵי עוֹלַם הַחֹשֶׁךְ הַזֶּה,
וְעִם רוּחוֹת רָעוֹת אֲשֶׁר מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם.
And put on the full armor of God
so that you can take your stand against the schemes of the accuser;
for our struggle is not with flesh and blood,
but with authorites and with leaders,
and with rulers of this world of darkness,
and with evil spirits that are under the heavens.
scheming of the accuser/satan/adversary requires free will
the evil spiritual powers influencing people in these verses (like those in Ephesians 2:1-2 above) promote allegiance to worldly ways and disregard of the Word of God
W
אגרת שאול השניה אל התסלוניקים ב:ט-י
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
הֵן בִּיאָתוֹ שֶׁל הַהוּא בִּפְעֻלַּת הַשָּׂטָן הִיא,
בְּכָל גְּבוּרָה וְאוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים כּוֹזְבִים,
וּבְכָל הַטְעָיַת הָעַוְלָה אֲשֶׁר בָּאוֹבְדִים,
עַל שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ אֶת אַהֲבַת הָאֱמֶת לְהִוָּשַׁע בָּהּ.
The coming of the evil one will be by the action of the satan,
in all deceptive power and signs and wonders,
and in all the misleading of the injustice that is in the lost,
because they refused the saving love of the truth.
here the satan is working through those who choose his lies over the truth of God
deception is a willful action
W
אגרת שאול הראשונה אל טימותיאוס ג:ו
1 Timothy 3:6
וְאַל יִהְיֶה צָעִיר בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ,
פֶּן יִתְנַשֵּׂא
וְיִפֹּל בְּדִין הַשָּׂטָן.
He must not be immature in Talmud,
lest he become arrogant
and fall under the same judgment as the satan.
this passage addresses requirements for an elder who is worthy of respect
warns against pride such as that of the satan
only a being with personal motivation can be prideful
judgment indicates willful action
W
אגרת שאול השניה אל טימותיאוס ב:כה-כו
2 Timothy 2:25-26
בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיּוֹכִיחַ בַּעֲנָוָה אֶת הַמְעַרְעֲרִים כְּנֶגְדּוֹ,
אוּלַי יִתֵּן לָהֶם הָאֱלֹהִים חֲזָרָה בִּתְשׁוּבָה
וְיֵדְעוּ אֶת הָאֱמֶת,
וְיִתְפַּכְּחוּ לְנַפְשָׁם
וְיֵחָלְצוּ מִפַּח הַשָּׂטָן
אֲשֶׁר נִלְכְּדוּ בּוֹ לִרְצוֹנוֹ.
In the way that a servant should humbly instruct those who dispute against him,
perhaps God will give them return in repentance
and they will know the truth,
and they will become clear minded for their souls,
and escape from the snare of the satan,
in which they were trapped in to do his will.
this passage addresses dealing with false teachers
people become ensnared in doing the will of the satan
W
אגרת אל העברים ב:יד
Hebrews 2:1
כִּי מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַבָּנִים הִשְׁתַּתְּפוּ בְּבָשָׂר וָדָם,
גַּם הוּא בְּאוֹתָהּ צוּרָה הִשְׁתַּתֵּף בְּאוֹתָם דְּבָרִים,
כְּדֵי שֶׁבְּמוֹתוֹ
יְבַטֵּל אֶת מִי שֶׁמַּחֲזִיק בְּשִׁלְטוֹן הַמָּוֶת,
אֲשֶׁר הוּא הַשָּׂטָן
For since the children share flesh and blood,
he too in the same way shared in the same things,
so that by his death
he might cancel the one who holds the rule of death,
that is the satan.
we know (from verses such as Deuteronomy 32:39, 1Samuel 2:6, Job 1:21 above) that God has ultimate power over both life and death
this verse shows the satan/adversary holding rule of death
this role could only be assigned or at least permitted by God
ruling requires free will
M+W
אגרת פטרוס הראשונה ה:ח
וֶהֱיוּ עֵרִים וְזִכְרוּ,
מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאוֹיִבְכֶם הַשָּׂטָן
נוֹהֵם כְּאַרְיֵה
וּמִתְהַלֵּךְ
וּמְחַפֵּשׂ אֶת מִי יִבְלַע.
and walks around
and looks for someone to swallow.
this verse likens the satan/adversary/enemy to a lion searching for prey
lions behave according to the way God made them and are also individually motivated to hunt
M+W
אגרת יוחנן הראשונה ג:ח
1 John 3:8
וְהַפּוֹעֵל חֵטְא מִן הַשָּׂטָן הוּא,
כִּי מֵרֵאשִׁית הוּא הַשָּׂטָן חוֹטֵא הוּא.
וְעַל כֵּן הוֹפִיעַ בֶּן-הָאֱלֹהִים,
לְהָפֵר אֶת מַעֲשֵׂי הַשָּׂטָן.
The doer of sin is from the satan,
because from beginning the satan has been sinning.
Therefore the Son of God appeared
to sever the works of the satan.
sinning requires free will
performing task assigned by God to serve as an obstacle would not be sin
W
אגרת יהודה א:ו
Jude 1:6
וְאֶת הַמַּלְאָכִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְרוּ אֶת מַעֲלָתָם
אֶלָּא עָזְבוּ אֶת מְעוֹנָם,
שָׁמַר בְּכַבְלֵי עוֹלָמִים,
תַּחַת אֹפֶל,
לְמִשְׁפַּט הַיּוֹם הַגָּדוֹל
And the angels who did not keep their virtue
but left their dwelling place,
He has kept in eternal chains,
under darkness,
for the trial of the great Day.
angels leaving their dwelling place shows free will intentionality
only willful action would warrant judgment
W
התגלות יב:ז-יב
Revelation 12:7-10 (summary)
there was war in heaven - Michael & his angels vs the dragon & his angels
dragon not strong enough - lost place in the heavens
the great dragon was thrown down - the ancient serpent - called accuser and satan - who leads the whole world astray - thrown to the earth - his angels with him
heard loud voice in heaven - now have come salvation & power & kingdom of our God & authority of His Messiah - for the accuser of our brothers before our God day & night has been thrown down
this passage shows that the terms satan, serpent, dragon, accuser refer to the same spiritual being who fights for power
W
התגלות כ:ב,ז,י
Revelation 20:2,7,10 (summary)
an angel seized the dragon, the ancient serpent - who is the accuser and the satan - bound him for 1,000 years
when the thousand years are completed the satan will be released from his prison
the accuser who deceived the nations was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur - where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown - they will be tormented day and night forever
here again the terms satan, serpent, dragon, accuser refer to the same spiritual being who deceives people and is ultimately punished
W
These verses about the satan/adversary relate to this passage from the Talmud:
הוא שטן,
הוא יצר הרע,
הוא מלאך המוות
מסכת בבא בתרא דף טז:א
he is satan,
he is the evil inclination,
he is the angel of death
Alternative translation:
"Satan,
Yetzer haRa (urge to do evil),
and the Angel of Death
are all one."
So we have discovered directly from the Bible that the serpent/satan/adversary/accuser:
is not merely a robotic obedient messenger/angel
has personality - intellect, emotion, desire, will
is morally responsible - judged
entices the evil inclination יצר הרע of humans
is a limited being (not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent)
is created & allowed & restricted by God
The evil inclination to stray from following the Word of God exists within all people and is stimulated by the myriad of fallen angels lead by the satan. A famous rabbinic saying about free will expresses:
הכל בידי השמים
חוץ מיראת השמים
Everything is in the hands of the heavens,
except for reverence of the heavens.
רְא֣וּ עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא
וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י
אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַאֲחַיֶּ֗ה
מָחַ֙צְתִּי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א
וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל׃
דברים לב:לט
See now that I, I am He,
There is no god beside Me;
I kill and I give life,
I crushed and I will heal,
there is none that can deliver from My hand.
Deuteronomy 32:39
תְּחִלַּ֣ת חׇ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה
משלי ט:י
The beginning of wisdom is reverence of HaShem
Proverbs 9:10
אֵ֥ל שַׁדַּ֛י
God Almighty
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