WHAT'S ALL THIS FUSS OVER LUCIFER?
This may be a surprise to you
but the word "Lucifer" appears only one time in the King James
translation of the Bible. Also surprising is the fact that in other
translations it does not appear even one time! The verse in which the King
James Bible uses the word "Lucifer" is Isa. 14:12, which states:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How
are thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!"
Now if you spoke or studied in Hebrew (let us not
forget that is the language originally used in the Bible) you would find
that the Hebraic translation of the verse reads differently: "How you
have fallen from the heavens, shining star, son of the morning! You who
weakens the nations are cut down to the ground." Notice that the word
"Lucifer" is not in the original text of the Bible at all!
In fact, Isa. 14:12 is the only place in the entire
King James Bible that the word "Lucifer" appears. The word "Lucifer" never appears in the Hebrew text.
Answer for yourself: Then
why is it in your and my Bible?
It should not be.
Answer for yourself: What
about the inerrancy and infallibility question?
Answer for yourself: Are
our Bibles correct or have then been tampered with?
Answer for yourself: And
if we can prove that doctrines were "created" for selfish ends,
then can we recognize them?
Answer for yourself: And
after recognizing them will we continue to play into the hands of those
who created these man-made doctrines by adhering to them in our churches?
I want you to read the context of the verses that
surround these verses in Isaiah. After you have read them you should
notice that the name "shining star, son of the morning" refers
to the king of Babylon, and not the Devil.
Now I must ask you:
Answer for yourself: Why
did the translators of the King James Bible of 1611 A.D. insert the word "Lucifer:
in Isa. 14:12?
Answer for yourself: How
did the words "Lucifer" and "Satan" become to mean the
same individual?
Answer for yourself: If
we can prove in this instance that words were added to our Bible to create
or perpetuate a man-made doctrine, then has it occurred at other places in
our Bibles and can we know where it occurs?
Answer for yourself: What are we currently practicing in our churches as part of our worship of God is directly attributed to "additions" to the text by men with "hidden agendas?"
Answer for yourself: When
we locate such man-made traditions and doctrines, do we continue to follow
such fables & false doctrines in our worship of God?
Answer for yourself: Are
we truly worshipping our God in "Spirit and in truth?
The word "Lucifer" is Latin for:
- 1) Phosphorous
- 2) Venus as the morning star
- 3) The light-bringer which announces the dawn of the Sun
The name "Lucifer" is sometimes applied to the planet Venus as the evening star as well. Interestingly enough, the passage in Luke 10:18 ("I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven") was thought by some to refer to the Isa. 14:12 passage in which the star was used metaphorically for the king of Babylon. According to the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legends of 1984 this "Lucifer" would become the chief of fallen angels and the name for Satan before his rebellion. "Lucifer", as a name give to the devil, comes from this passage, which the early Catholic Church Fathers interpreted, without any coroborrating evidence, as relating to the apostasy & punishment of angelic leaders. Such an application was tied to the King of Babel according to Keil & Delitzsch in their Commentary on the Old Testament. Thus we now find that the Devil is become the chief of the fallen angels or evil spirits. Thus we find in Christian theology today that his personal name was originally Lucifer or light-bearer (Isa. 14:12) and is the term applied for the king of Babylon. "Lucifer", in religion, is a name that was thus given to Satan by early Christians and was adopted without question in the middle ages because no one sought to study the Scriptures in Hebrew.
Let's summarize:
- 1) The words "Lucifer" and "Satan" have been connected by the erroneous association of Isa. 14:12 with Luke 10:18.
- 2) This association was made by Roman Catholic Church Fathers after the deaths of the Apostles.
- 3) The association of the "Devil" as "Satan" is a fabrication of Christian theology.
-
4) This is not the only religious fabrication in
the Christian faith today.
Answer for yourself: Do you know the
others?
One of the church fathers who was the leading proponent in creating
this man-made theology which connected "Satan" with "Lucifer"
was Origen. He is known for writing "The prophet says, 'How is
Lucifer, who used to arise in the morning, fallen from heaven! He who
assailed all nations is broken & beaten to the ground...' Most
evidently by these words he is shown to have fallen from heaven, who
formerly was Lucifer, and who used to arise in the morning...Nay, even the
Saviour Himself teaches us, saying of the devil, 'Behold, I see Satan
fallen from heaven like lightening..."
It is Origin who established for us today the link between Isa.
14:12 & Luke 10:18. Origen took two verses completely out of their
original context and created a new doctrine for the church. From the time
of Origen onward Lucifer & Satan become synonymous.
Hebrew scholars of the Jewish faith never associated Satan with the
verse found in Isaiah. It would be the early Greek Catholic Fathers who
would re-define the meaning of these two scriptures and create a new
identity for Satan. This error in Christian theology became part of
Christian beliefs around 210-225 A.D. This concept has been in place for
over 1700 years and is rarely questioned today. But it should be.ÿ_ÿ_I
don't want to shock you but you better be seated for this. There are many
who see in these verses materials derived from a Canaanite myth concerning
Helal, the Day Star or Lightgiver, son of Shahar the Dawn. Many connect
with this myth the ultimate conflict of good versus bad as manifested on
earth. We know today that there was a god Shahar in Canaanite (Ugaritic)
mythology who was the god of dawn or the morning star. Connected to this
myth is Helal the son of Shahar. Connected again to both is the
mythological concept of the "mount of assembly of the gods in the far
north" which is also the point around which all the constellations
turned. It was here, also, where the summit of the heavenly mountain & throne of the Most High was located. The passage in Isa. 14:12 preserves
for us the Canaanite for a nature myth, which tells of the attempt of the
morning stat to scale the heights of heaven, thus surpassing all other
stars only to be cast down to the earth by the victorious sun. Thus we see
in this myth the story of the aspiring of a minor deity to reach the
highest heaven where the supreme god dwelt. The goal of such was to
replace the supreme ruler with the minor ruler. Such later was borrowed to
describe the king of Babylon and his ambition for prominence which
tragically ended in his downfall.
Let me ask you:
Answer for yourself: Did early
Christian theologians substitute the name of "God" in the place
of "the Canaanite most High god"?
Answer for yourself: Did early
Christian theologians substitute the name "Lucifer" or "Satan"
in the place of "Helal, son of Shahar?"
Answer for yourself: Have you heard
this Canaanite account preached in your churches before but with new
characters and identities?
Think of the numerous commentaries that have been written, sermons
that have been preached, and prayers that have been prayed, which assume
that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.
Answer for yourself: Why is this
false-doctrine perpetuated by Protestant denominations, seminaries,
pastors & teachers of churches, and the Catholic Church?
Answer for yourself: Why have few
discovered this error? Do they not have the resources to discover this
lie?
You may be surprised to find out that they are aware of the error
because many of their books document it.
Answer for yourself: Then why don't
they preach the truth about this addition to the scriptures?
This is not only a matter of ignorance, but deception. Once this
false-doctrine became part of the Christian Belief System there was no
limit to the innovative teachings which would be built around it.
According to the Bible, except for I Chron. 21:1, Satan is not a
proper name referring to a particular being and a demoniac one who is the
antagonist or rival of God. It is, in it's original application,
understood as a common noun meaning an adversary who opposes and
obstructs. It is applied to human adversaries in I Sam. 29:4 where the
Philistine questioned David's loyalty to them in battle and were fearful
that David would become a "satan" against them in battle. In II
Sam. 19:22 David accused the sons of Zeruiah of beings "satans"
to his restoration to the throne of Israel. In I Kings 11:14 the Lord
raised up "a satan" against Solomon in the person of Hadad the
Edomite who stood against Solomon in his idolatries. In I Kings 11:23 &
25 we see God raised up another "satan" against Solomon as an
adversary to his rule.
Satan (meaning adversary) as a verb is used of prosecution in a law
court (Psm. 109:6) and the role of an antagonist in general (Psm.
38:20-21; 109:4,20,29). The angel of the Lord who was sent to obstruct
Baalam in Num. 22:31 was chosen by God to fulfill the role of "a
satan" in order to oppose and obstruct Baalam. God sent "satan"
to Baalam. This angel was accomplishing good for God but was a "satan".
The will of God would be done because of the testing and trial of Baalam.
There is nothing in the Hebrew to suggest that this "opposition"
presented to Baalam was the permanent function of that or any other
particular angel. "The Satan" as a role or function of a
particular angel first appears around 520 B.C. in Zech. 3 and then in Job
1-2.
In I Chron. 21:1 it states that "Satan stood up against Israel
and moved David to number Israel". Notice there is no article before
the noun, thus more than likely Satan seems to be a real proper name. In
Zech 3, Satan acts as a prosecutor in a celestial court. In Job 1-2 Satan
questions Job's integrity and suggests to the Lord that Job be tested to
prove his love and commitment to God. In all these accounts "Satan"
or "satans" are clearly in subjection & subordinate to God.
In neither of the accounts listed are there "warfare" occurring
between The God and His Satan or satans. The only warfare going on is
between men's flesh in it's submission to the will and purposes of God.
Satan, the angel, is clearly obedient to all of G-d's commands is unable
to act of his own free will and cannot do anything without G-d's
permission. Nowhere is he in any sense a rival of God. In I Chron. 21:1,
it states that Satan is said to have incited David to take a census of
Israel, which resulted in the death of 70,000 Israelites (21:14). If we
contrast that with 2 Sam. 24:1 it states "the anger of the Lord was
aroused against Israel, and He (God) moved David against them to say, 'Go
number Israel and Judah'". God caused David to take the census.
Notice that one scripture blames the census on Satan and the other on God.
Answer for yourself: How do we
reconcile?
It is rather simple. God is David's adversary (satan-small "s")
since David is relying on the flesh for the defense and protection of
Israel instead of God. God being angered in David's rejection of Him and
His protection and provision, dispatched an adversary (satan) to David. It
happens that the adversary (satan) dispatched happened to be "the" Satan, himself. Satan obeys G-d's wishes and judges David and Israel for
the king's transgression and sin.
Answer for yourself: Did Satan fight
God or David?
Answer for yourself: Who disobeyed
God?
Answer for yourself: Who needed to
repent here; Satan or David?
You be the judge. Next month, we will talk about Persian dualism and
the concepts that have birthed the erroneous teachings concerning
spiritual warfare in today's churches. God is not fighting Satan but the "satans" (men-as adversaries to the will of God in the earth) created in the image
of God. You got it! God fights the flesh of men to submit to the Spirit of
God, thus accomplishing His purposes, and not ours.
Answer for yourself: It's exciting to finally know the truth, isn't?
- Bet Emet Ministries
- Rev. Craig Lyons Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.
- 902 Cardigan
- Garland, Texas 75040
- 972-4964238
- E-Mail: [email protected]