| Ezekiel 28--the origin of Satan
His Beauty and Perfection
Ezekiel is careful to point out that Satan is a created being. He is not eternal, but limited and finite. Before the fall, Lucifer is perfect...intellectually and physically. Ez. 28:13 describes the beauty of Lucifer. "The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created." Christian writer Dwight Pentecost wrote "It was not necessary for Lucifer to learn to play a musical instrument in order to praise God. If you please, he had a built-in pipe organ.......Lucifer, because of his beauty, did what a musical instrument would do in the hands of a skilled musician.....Lucifer didn't have to look for someone to play the organ so that he could sing the doxology..he was the doxology." His name "serpent" means "The shining one." Paul also describes him as "an angel of light". (II Cor 11:14) His Place: He was in Eden, the garden of God, on the holy mountain of God. (Later Ezekiel remarks, "You defiled your sanctuaries.") Ez. 28:18 His Power: Ez 28:14 says, "You were the anointed cherub who covers." He was one of the cherubs that could look upon the glory of God and voice praise and thanksgiving directly to Him. The cherubim were one of the highest orders of the angels and it was over this class of angels that Lucifer was given authority. His Pride: Ez. 28:15-18 Iniquity was found in him--his heart was lifted up because of his beauty--He corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor. |
In the Old Testament, Satan gets his biggest mention in the book of Job, where God allows him a certain amount of power in order to test His righteous servant. Otherwise, from memory he crops up near the end of David's reign (inspiring the census which incurred God's wrath) and also I believe in at least one of the Psalms. Although he is identifiable with the Baalim, Nephilim and other dodgy demonic demigods who were constantly leading a decadent Israel astray. Also the fallen angel, "king of Tyre" mentioned in Isaiah. And the snake, of course.
1 Chronicles chapter 21
Job
Zechariah chapter 3
Psalm 109 verse 6
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