Origin Of The Devil - Part I

     First, I reject the notion that Lucifer was Satan.

    Of Isaiah 14:12, I say: it is the only mention of Lucifer in the Bible and it is clear that it does not refer to the devil, for in verse 4 God tells Isaiah to "take up this proverb against the king of Babylon," and again in verse 22, "I will rise up...saith the Lord...and cut off from Babylon the name." Lucifer, then is the king of Babylon and another name of Sennacherib or perhaps Nebuchadnezzar. (Double names were not an uncommon occurrence in the Bible times).

Everything that follows could be said to be a prophetic description of the well-documented fall of Nebuchadnezzar: he was lifted up with pride being the highest ruler in the whole world, thought himself to be as God, and was cast down by God for seven years to lose his mind and wander in the wilderness as a wild animal eating grass.

The teaching that Lucifer is the devil seems an erroneous doctrine conceived of scriptural ignorance and perpetuated through naïve bias.

    Of Ezekiel 28, I say: many suppose this speech to be spoken of the devil because the content of this chapter references one who wishes to be God, has been in Eden, and is referred to as the anointed cherub.

But those are all merely poetic applications which also happen to be elements of a legend of Satan being an archangel known as Lucifer who attempted an angelic coup to usurp God’s throne and was cast down, the fable of which is to be found nowhere in scripture.

This verse clearly states that this denouncement of God is for the prince of Tyrus. It further states that he was a man. So, no angelic being is intended. Certainly even at present, the devil cannot be said to be a man.

Though there is allegorical speech in this chapter, no content refers to the devil.

    I further reject that the devil was ever in heaven or was ever good. John said the devil sinneth from the beginning. Jesus said he was a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. So, I could not frame to say that he was good at the beginning. And there is no scriptural founding to believe such. Some cite Jesus saying he beheld Satan fall from heaven as lightning, but this he said in allegory, because it was in response to the disciples casting demons out of people. Some cite Revelation 12:7-10, but even apart from the book’s eschatological nature and completely anachronistic resemblance to the luciferian myth, it is a book of symbols, not literal history or diabolical genesis.

Also, Hebrews 2:16 and 18 seem to indicate that the nature of angels is such as precludes suffering and even temptation. They have no will but the will of God. And Jesus said in heaven humans become like the angels. So, if the devil was in heaven but revolted, what is to stop us from doing the same? How can God guarantee there will be no sorrow, pain, or tears in heaven if we have the ability to choose to sin?

    How then did the idea of Lucifer’s rebellion become so universally conflated with the devil’s origin by everyone?

I believe Milton’s Paradise Lost is to blame for the widespread belief.

    Now I have stated what I believe the origin of the devil is not. I will endeavor in the next post to describe as best as I can what it is.