Satan the Prosecutor (original) (raw)
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In recent decades, scholars have taken great care not to assume that " the śāṭ ān " of Job 1–2 and of Zechariah 3 is supposed to be the archenemy of God and the opponent of good, as is Satan in later Jewish and Christian literature. Nevertheless , scholars have yet to eliminate anachronistic assumptions from their discussions of this figure as he is presented in the Hebrew Scriptures, maintaining that the śāṭ ān in Job and Zechariah holds the office of heavenly " prosecuting attorney " or " accuser. " After surveying the uses of the noun ן ָט ָׂש and the verb ן ַט ָׂש in the Hebrew Scriptures, this article argues that these words never denote " accusation " in this literature but refer exclusively to physical " attack. " This article further contends that in legal contexts the noun ן ָט ָׂש can refer specifically to an " executioner " and that " the Executioner " is the proper understanding of ן ָט ָשּׂ ַה in Zech-ariah and Job. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, " Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and
The article suggests that the relationship between Christ’s death and the defeat of the devil (Heb 2:14), as well as the metaphor of the devil as an adversary prowling like a roaring lion (1 Pt 5:8) possibly share the same background – i.e., the ancient Roman judicial phenomenon of crimen calumniae. This legal practice was established to stop prosecutors from bringing forward false charges. Convicted calumniators were removed from office and suffered additional punishments. This background might help explain the fact that the devil was defeated according to Hebrews by way of false accusation, and that the devil in 1 Peter does not attack the believers, but is only on the prowl for justified accusations.
Satan Christianity's Other God -Legend, Myth, Lore, or Lie
Greetings, More and more our culture is being exposed to and subject to what is often seen as evil or demonic activity. From intense films and productions that elaborate on satanic power, to media hype around a merciless killer who is a vessel of evil. And it seems there might be less to those stories than we have been told. The past dozen years have had me answering questions about Satan and Hell that many have stopped asking. Some of these are; What if there is no Devil? Is it possible there is no Satan and no demons to possess a soul? What if there is only ONE supernatural cosmic entity? How would things change? Why did the God of the Bible say He makes peace and creates evil? Many have stopped asking questions such as these and you may ask, “Why have they stopped asking?” Excellent question! I believe many have stopped asking because of the fatigue from not getting sensible answers. When we take Satan off the pages of the Bible and assess all the varied ideas about who he is and what he does, well frankly, Satan just doesn’t make sense in so many ways. Truth is, it is just less of a challenge to adhere to a lifelong belief that has been traditionally taught for centuries than to explore this belief with critical thought. For centuries, theologians have propounded the same answers but now there is another option. Is it possible, I asked, that Satan is not real? The Surprising Value of Dismantling Satan In my books, I put forth a compelling examination of Satanic thought, theology, and theory. Without recapping all four volumes in a brief letter, I find there is no better way to introduce my work than to simply say, I think you will be surprised at how it can be shown Satan is not real. Moreover, many are even more surprised at how this is evidenced by the Bible. The surprises continue for most when they realize that in proving Satan is not real, we actually strengthen the argument for the value of the Bible. This work has delighted even traditional believers as they find it supports the efficacy, historicity, and accuracy of the Bible as I mentioned above. While showing the devil to be absent from reality; the work of the Messiah and the fact there is only One God in the entire universe, is completely affirmed. For the typical seeker, the epiphany comes in realizing that yet again, the Bible is true and accurate/ There is no fault with the Scriptures, rather, it is the common interpretation of the biblical idea of Satan that has been mistaken in many ways. It has been man’s ideas of a second cosmic entity of evil that have propelled man to fill many terms and words of the Bible with mystic meaning. Meaning that was not intended by the original author. So, as challenging as it is to enter a theological and historical dialogue on who and what Satan is, I respectfully ask you to consider doing so, with me or with others who have tapped into the truth about Satan. I assure you, a discussion on this most polarizing topic will leave your listeners demanding to hear more. The evidence against Satan is mountainous and if you decide to examine even the fringes of this ideology, the liberation that begins in the oft-indoctrinated mind, is only one of the amazing benefits that begin to manifest. Of the many emails I get thanking me for my efforts, I find those from ministers of the Gospel to be enlightening at a different level. I quote a recent one from a missionary in the Philippines below. Hello James, I literally just discovered your work about 2 hours ago on the Tentmaker facebook page. Once I clicked on one video, it just led me to the next one and so on. I just want to say that I really appreciate what you're doing. My wife and I are both missionaries and have been questioning the reality of "Satan"/devil for quite some time now but have been wanting to learn how to understand it better. Even these past couple of weeks we've been having this discussion with friends and family...not necessarily having the answers...but simply challenging people with questions. I'd love to get a hold of your book somehow. PDF or Kindle. I actually live here in the Philippines doing missionary work. Thank you for your work. Like you, I have been told that I'll be going to hell and will be leading others there with me because of my message of grace and love. You're not alone. Thanks for what you do. Joshua Tongol Sept 4,2012 I look forward to hearing from you. Today we have a chance to step into something that just may be a revolution in human freedom. You don’t want to miss this.