On Monday, November 12, 2018 at 9:17:47 PM UTC-5, Daniel wrote:
> This isn't a question about belief/non-belief, it's just a
> question about whether you're knowledgeable about one point
> in ancient history, which is the product of scholarship
> (including Christian scholars.)
Anyone who's read the Bible learns traits about Satan. He is
an imitator, not an originator. He offers up alternatives,
but does not originate anything. He only takes what God has
created ... and perverts it.
Consider:
There were things foretold to man before we recorded things
as part of the Jewish faith from Abraham on down. There is a
book of Enoch, who is a special character in the Bible, one
taken up by God without having tasted death. He was translated
from this world to God's Kingdom, because Enoch walked with
God. If you read the book of Enoch, you read of a type of
wisdom that's been lost in the modern world, yet even the
canon New Testament scripture refers to the book of Enoch.
That wisdom was handed down by tradition for centuries, given
first- and second-hand by Noah and others who were there, or
who were direct descendants of those who were there. Such a
wisdom would've also been known to the enemy of this world,
as he would've been listening to their conversations, hearing
the things they passed down over time.
In any event, there are three times we hear the actual voice
of Satan recorded in scripture: (1) in Genesis when he is
tempting Eve, (2) in Job where he's talking to God, and (3)
in the desert when he's tempting Jesus for 40 days.
In Genesis he basically tells Eve, "God's not being good
enough to you. He's withholding His blessing. Follow my
guidance, and you'll receive the full blessing of God, to
know both good and evil."
In Job he basically tells God, "You're being too good to
them. Allow me to harm them and they'll curse you to your
face."
And in the desert he basically tells Jesus, "If you'll bow
down and worship me, I'll be better to you than God will."
He sets man against God, God against man, and then offers
to step in and be God in God's place. His m.o. is clear.
Satan wants to be God. In the end times he'll physically
inhabit a man's body and set himself up to be god here in
this world. And all who are damned will follow him, because
they are being led by his evil spirit influence upon their
flesh, and not by the spirit of God at work with their
spirit, having been born again after receiving forgiveness
of their sin.
-----
Throughout history, Daniel, the enemy of God, who is also
a spirit, and who has incredible power and authority and
has been temporarily given a lease of reign here on this
Earth, has sought to sully the things God has done, will
do, or has foretold.
If you look no further than the ways of the world, you'll
only see the enemy at work in deception. If you'll look
to the ways of God as are written about in the Bible, you
will learn the truth, and they will shine the light on the
enemy's actions in this world, exposing them for what they
are.
The choice is yours.
--
Rick C. Hodgin