Who Is Satan?

[shunyadragon]

Stan? Do you feel alright?

Actually Satan's name is Stancel Smith.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Stan? Do you feel alright?

Stan isn't here.

 

[sun rise]

Do you believe any such mythical things exist?

Yes I actually do believe there are inhabitants in the lower astral planes who try to influence people to do negative things.

 

[EtuMalku]

Actually Satan's name is Stancel Smith.

That's a new one for me

 

[Sedim Haba]

An angel, with a very unpleasant task.

It's not a name actually, it's a title.

If you want to 'meet' the real Satan read the book of Job

 

[Repox]

Satan is responsible for more than most people think. In heaven, there were thirteen angels. Satan attempted to be like God. He separated himself from God and tricked the other angels in forming a worship circle around him. It all fell apart when Satan began hurting the other angels by attacking them. In a dream, I was in heaven when I saw a green bug in the shape of a parrots’ beak attacking angels. An angel went to God and complained. As the bug headed toward me, God captured it with His hands. There was a lot of commotion inside the hands as Satan attempted to escape. Then, God opened his hands; both hands were covered with pieces of black metal. God created the universe and tossed Satan inside. If you do research, you will find science has discovered large black scares on the boundary of the universe. Their favorite theory is they are from other universes bumping into our universe. There is, of course, no evidence for other universes. Since his imprisonment, Satan has tried to escape to return to heaven. In the universe, Satan gathers gallaxies together in a long row and crashes them into the boundary of the universe. If you go online and check it out, you'll find science has discovered a long string of gallaxies heading toward the boundary of the universe faster than the expansion rate of the universe. Science has no explanation.

Satan is the reason we're here! God expelled Satan from heaven, created the universe, and tossed Satan inside. Humans are collateral damage from Satan's rebellion in heaven.

I shouldn't report what I know about Satan, it's dam depressing!

 

[Aštra’el]

Who is Satan?

Satan is a powerful being described in Abrahamic mythology, which has been interpreted in many different ways... but is traditionally associated in some way with the “evil” or forbidden sides of humanity.

What is Satan?

This is my perspective.

Satan is an angel completely loyal to God. I often portray it as a monstrous and terrifying dragon of light... fulfilling a divine purpose.

Satan is an inclination within us. It can be a source of power and strength, even pleasure... and it can be the source of great suffering, conflict, ruin, and catastrophe.

It can be an obstacle meant to be overcome, testing our morality and loyalty to God.

I can close my eyes and imagine a sinister, numinous current flowing through the individual and collective subconscious of all humanity, encompassing select areas of our human nature, operating as the driving inclination that pushes us to engage in genuine malevolence... and those behaviors which groups and individuals subjectively perceive to be the “evil”, “wrong”, “taboo”, “immoral”, and “sinful”.

For those of you who do not believe in God... Satan can be viewed as our natural inclinations pushing us to engage in the malevolent and culturally forbidden aspects of our humanity.

Does he have any power or influence over the world?

Yes, there is great power and influence in inspiration and motivation. To inspire and motivate is to push in a specific direction, affecting the present and altering the future.

Give it whatever names you want. It is there. What will you do with it?

Is he good or bad?

I do not understand the question.

What is the nature of his existence?

I see a monstrous and terrible yet loyal angel fulfilling a divine purpose, doing exactly as God intended... testing human morality and loyalty to God, while at the same time existing as a potential source of strength and power, or suffering and ruin.

 

[muhammad_isa]

He promotes evil but does so for a good cause - to make this reality more of a challenge.

No. satan doesn't do anything "for a good cause"

When we speak of "satan", people often refer to the original satan who fell from grace, and became envious and spiteful towards mankind.

Human beings can behave in exactly the same way.
We can therefore talk about satan in a plural sense i.e. devils
They exist as humans and the invisible kind i.e. in the spirit world

..so there are enemies of G-d from amongst us .. as well as righteous and
those that fall into neither group.

 

[muhammad_isa]

I see a monstrous and terrible yet loyal angel fulfilling a divine purpose, doing exactly as God intended... testing human morality and loyalty to God, while at the same time existing as a potential source of strength and power, or suffering and ruin.

I would agree that G-d knew that lucifer/iblees would become satan. He also knew that many of mankind would incline towards evil.

The thing that both lucifer and mankind have in common is that they have free-will. We all have an inclination towards evil. That is why those that don't remember G-d are in danger.
lucifer is just another created being, and we are all capable of behaving in the same fashion as satan.

The purpose of created beings can not outdo that of G-d.
G-d knows why He allows evil i.e. He gave creatures free-will

 

[Sedim Haba]

I would agree that G-d knew that lucifer/iblees would become satan. He also knew that many of mankind would incline towards evil.

The thing that both lucifer and mankind have in common is that they have free-will. We all have an inclination towards evil. That is why those that don't remember G-d are in danger.
lucifer is just another created being, and we are all capable of behaving in the same fashion as satan.

The purpose of created beings can not outdo that of G-d.
G-d knows why He allows evil i.e. He gave creatures free-will

Strange, I've known Muslims that agree with me that Angels have no free-will.
And therefore cannot 'fall' as we can. Maybe they can fail in their tasks in other ways?

There is a saying of our Sages, that for the angels, the Throne of Glory is forever and
always in their sight. Makes sense to me, they are spirit and don't have matter like we
do to obscure that Throne from our sight, for who could sin in that case??

What indeed would have been the need to create the physical universe and Adam,
if we all could just be the beings of free will that we are as beings of spirit only?
We would all be as the angels, and fulfill our destiny that way. But we couldn't.
We who can have free will need the separation of the physical and it's corruption.

In fact, my Rabbi told us that the main job of the Accuser (Satan) is to GIVE us
free will. To give US choice and maintain a balance. Only in a true balance can
our own decision tip the scale. Once again, I point to the book of Job for a true image.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Strange, I've known Muslims that agree with me that Angels have no free-will..

I agree with you that angels do not possess free-will and are the sinless servants of G-d.
The belief that Lucifer/Iblees is a fallen angel is a Christian one.

Muslims believe in ghosts .. invisible spirits known as jinn.
Jinn were created before mankind, and were the first creatures to be given free-will.
Angels are made of light, while jinn are of "smokeless fire", and mankind of clay/matter.

Lucifer was once very pious, and worshipped alongside the angels. This is what makes satan so dangerous. he can be very convincing.

In fact, my Rabbi told us that the main job of the Accuser (Satan) is to GIVE us free will. To give US choice and maintain a balance. Only in a true balance can our own decision tip the scale. Once again, I point to the book of Job for a true image.

satan is the original "accuser". We can all behave like satan.
There are multiple "devils" amongst mankind and jinn.
Evil comes from a variety of directions .. from ourselves .. from our families .. from disbelievers .. from believers .. from the invisible spirit world .. from multiple directions.

Indeed, satan is responsible for a lot of suffering.
It is very difficult to remain faithful in times of adversary. The Book of Job teaches us the importance of not allowing satan to overcome us. We should never stop remembering G-d. We should never lose hope. The power of a created being is nothing compared to that of G-d.

 

[Repox]

I agree with you that angels do not possess free-will and are the sinless servants of G-d.
The belief that Lucifer/Iblees is a fallen angel is a Christian one.

Muslims believe in ghosts .. invisible spirits known as jinn.
Jinn were created before mankind, and were the first creatures to be given free-will.
Angels are made of light, while jinn are of "smokeless fire", and mankind of clay/matter.

Lucifer was once very pious, and worshipped alongside the angels. This is what makes satan so dangerous. he can be very convincing.


satan is the original "accuser". We can all behave like satan.
There are multiple "devils" amongst mankind and jinn.
Evil comes from a variety of directions .. from ourselves .. from our families .. from disbelievers .. from believers .. from the invisible spirit world .. from multiple directions.

Indeed, satan is responsible for a lot of suffering.
It is very difficult to remain faithful in times of adversary. The Book of Job teaches us the importance of not allowing satan to overcome us. We should never stop remembering G-d. We should never lose hope. The power of a created being is nothing compared to that of G-d.

Certainly, angels have freewill. The angel Satan exorcised his freewill to cause havoc in heaven, and because of his bad choices, he was excluded from heaven.
Then, there're criminals. Do they have freewill? If you propose they don't then they have done nothing wrong. I guess criminals need new brain cells to make them conform.

 

[Sedim Haba]

I agree with you that angels do not possess free-will and are the sinless servants of G-d.
The belief that Lucifer/Iblees is a fallen angel is a Christian one.

Muslims believe in ghosts .. invisible spirits known as jinn.
Jinn were created before mankind, and were the first creatures to be given free-will.
Angels are made of light, while jinn are of "smokeless fire", and mankind of clay/matter.

Thank you for the clarification.
Angels indeed do not have free will. Most have no will at all and are agents of one Task.

Yes, I also believe in Djinn. I also think that many cultures have legends of beings that
are similar in many regards and are also likely Djinn. Like the European Fae.

There are other entities neither Angel nor Djinn. One of these are Demons.
I remember these foul beings being referred to as toxic waste products of the creation
of this imperfect physical plane.

Who knows how many other beings both physical and non-physical inhabit our universe?

Of what origin is the Lucifer/Iblees I do not know.
All I know is that the Satan of Job is not the same entity. Job's Satan is obedient.

 

[Sedim Haba]

Certainly, angels have freewill. The angel Satan exorcised his freewill to cause havoc in heaven, and because of his bad choices, he was excluded from heaven.
.

Please show me in the Tanakh (your so-called OT) this rebellion in Heaven.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Of what origin is the Lucifer/Iblees I do not know.

The original serpent..

"14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life,
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel"
-Genesis 3-

The above refers to ha-satan. The same as in Job.

All I know is that the Satan of Job is not the same entity. Job's Satan is obedient.

..no, not obedient.
ha-satan is an adversary. G-d allows satan to torment Job.
It is not a case of G-d directly employing an agent to make Job suffer.

You might ask .. what is the difference? If G-d allows satan to inflict suffering on Job it amounts to the same thing.
Not in my opinion, it doesn't.
I don't believe that G-d encourages evil. One can say that if none of His creation had free-will, then there would BE no evil.

I am aware that there are differences of opinion about ha-satan in the various sects of Judasim.

 

[Repox]

Please show me in the Tanakh (your so-called OT) this rebellion in Heaven.

Sorry, I don't have an Old Testament reference for my description of the rebellion. I've had two dreams about it. In the first dream Satan attacked and hurt the other angels. In the second dream, God caught a pesty bug (Satan)) and held inside his hands (universe) where Satan remains imprisoned. Satan spends most of his time attempting to escape from the universe to return to heaven, the remainder of his time is spent on earth spreading hate, evilness, and hostility. We are in uncharted territory. Neither of us can prove anything about the supernatural world.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Satan spends most of his time attempting to escape from the universe to return to heaven..

satan can't achieve that. he knows he can't achieve that.
he spends all of his time attempting to destroy humans.
he has many helpers from amongst humans and the spirit world.

When Jesus returns, he will eventually be thrown into a pit, and will be unable to escape for 1000 years.

 

[Repox]

satan can't achieve that. he knows he can't achieve that.
he spends all of his time attempting to destroy humans.
he has many helpers from amongst humans and the spirit world.

When Jesus returns, he will eventually be thrown into a pit, and will be unable to escape for 1000 years.

I don't believe Satan has helpers; he has sufficient power to do it himself. Satan is an immortal angel who rebelled in heaven to become a fallen angel. It is difficult, if not impossible, for humans to understand supernatural beings, myself included. I have limited knowledge from some revelations. One thing is clear, Satan is an immortal angel. Humans die and turn to dust. I am certain of this: Satan is a fallen angel who was expelled from heaven. God imprisoned Satan in the universe. Without Satan, there would be no universe! If you want, check scientific information about scars on the boundary of the universe, they're from Satan's many attempts to escape from the universe to return to heaven. Satan spends his time trying to escape the universe or going to earth to cause chaos.

Here is an interesting idea for you to consider. The universe is a black pocked inside heaven. Cosmologists have been puzzled over what is beyond the boundary of the universe. It's heaven.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Without Satan, there would be no universe!

You are making a grave mistake.
G-d is the Creator and Maintainer of the universe.
satan is merely a created being.

You are ascribing more power to satan than he actually has.
satan has no power at all without G-d's permission.
G-d allows satan to "do what he wills", just as He allows us to do as we will.

..but only for a time appointed.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Very nice of this God to allow Satan to do what it wills. But we can throw stones at Satan.