Q&A: Was Satan Created Evil?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>Q&A: Was Satan Created Evil?</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> This letter was in response to a sister who objected to references in certain books I have authored of Satan being described as an angelic being that was created perfect, but then fell into sin. Some are teaching that the passages in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 do not refer to Satan, but rather to Adam, or some other being. And some have seen Isaiah 45:6-7 as declaring that God is the creator of evil, with evil being defined as wickedness and sin. They therefore conclude that God created Satan evil in the beginning and he never was anything but evil. After reading a recommended writing of another author I gave my comments on it.</div> <bR> <div> Dear T.,</div> <bR> <div> I must conclude that I am not persuaded by (Mr. E's) arguments in these writings. Usually when I hear some new truth that I know is from the Father I sense a leaping in my spirit, and even if it demands that I change my belief or rescind things I have formerly taught, I have a sense of joy about having had truth revealed to me. I did not experience this same leaping when I read these two articles. Instead, I saw some major flaws in (Mr. E's) logic, and what he shared did not allow the truths I know I have received from Yahweh to stand. Therefore there has to be error present. I will share with you my thoughts on this and you can decide for yourself.</div> <bR> <div> Let me begin by sharing some things I know to be true, and knowing them to be true they do not fit with (Mr. E's) depictions of the origin of Satan and the identity of Lucifer.</div> <bR> <div> In the opening verses of Genesis we find that "In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth." We know that Yahweh is timeless, so this does not refer to His beginning. Rather, the beginning spoken of here is the beginning of His creation. In the beginning of Yahweh’s creation He created the heavens and the earth. Yet in the very next verse we see that something has happened to this creation.</div> <bR> <div> In most modern translations of the scriptures, verse two of Genesis chapter one is rendered improperly.</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:1-2</div> <div> 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</div> <div> 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> All of the most popular English translations render this passage similarly, but they have borrowed from each other and duplicated one another’s mistakes. The rendering here makes it sound like God created the earth formless and void, yet we know this is not possible. How can anything be created formless and void? (Mr. E) asks this same question in his article on Satan’s origin, yet he does not properly resolve the issue.</div> <bR> <div> The phrase "<I>And</I> the earth <I>was</I> without form and void" should be properly rendered, "<I>but </I>the earth <I>became</I> formless and void". The words in question are rendered correctly in other places in the first few chapters of Genesis, so the translators knew they could be rendered this way, but it did not fit with their understanding or the orthodoxy of the day. The word for "was" that I changed to "became" is the Hebrew word "hayah" and it is the same word used in the scripture "Adam became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). Strong’s concordance identifies the meaning of this word as "to become" or, "come to pass". Similarly the word "and" is the Hebrew "wa" and it is a conjunction that is often rendered "but". Genesis 2:6 renders this word as but "but a mist used to..."</div> <bR> <div> So we can see that we could have as easily rendered these beginning verses as:</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:1-2</div> <div> 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</div> <div> 2 <I><B>But</B></I> the earth <I><B>became</B></I> formless, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. </div> <bR> <div> This would indicate that in the beginning of creation the Father created the heavens and the earth, but something occurred after this creation that made the earth formless, void, and covered with darkness.</div> <bR> <div> Now we can verify conclusively that this is how this scripture should be rendered by comparing this passage with one other.</div> <bR> <div> Jeremiah 4:16-28</div> <div> 16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.</div> <div> 17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith Yahweh.</div> <div> 18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.</div> <div> 19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.</div> <div> 20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.</div> <div> 21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?</div> <div> 22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.</div> <div> 23 <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Georgia" ><B>I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.</B></FONT></div> <div> 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.</div> <div> 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.</div> <div> 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Yahweh, and by his fierce anger. </div> <div> 27 For thus hath Yahweh said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.</div> <div> 28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> It cannot be denied or questioned that this passage is speaking of a judgment of Yahweh coming about due to rebellion and disobedience. As part of this judgment the land is made formless, void, and covered in darkness. These are the three same descriptive words we find in Genesis 1:2, and these words only occur in this combination in these two passages. We can know conclusively, therefore that after the original heavens and earth were formed that a judgment of Yahweh occurred which rendered the original earth formless, void and covered with darkness. There is no interpretation needed here. We simply compare scripture with scripture.</div> <bR> <div> So once again we see that the correct rendering of Genesis 1 is:</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:1-2</div> <div> 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</div> <div> 2 <I><B>Bu</B></I>t the earth <I><B>became</B></I> formless, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. </div> <bR> <div> Yahweh did not create the earth originally in a state of judgment. This is the testimony of Isaiah which (Mr. E) also quoted.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 45:18</div> <div> For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens </div> <div> (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, </div> <div> He established it and did not create it a waste place, </div> <div> But formed it to be inhabited), </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> Making the earth waste is always an act of judgment.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 24:1</div> <div> Behold, Yahweh lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> So, the remainder of chapter one of Genesis speaks of the re-creating of the earth after it’s original creation had been judged and made formless, void, and covered in darkness (darkness is also a sign of judgment so this should be very clear).</div> <bR> <div> Now this is a very important point, and it is largely unseen by the church due to a wrong orthodoxy and poor Bible translations. We must ask, "What occurred on this original earth that caused Yahweh to judge it so completely?" We are only given one account that could have caused such a judgment to be rendered and this was something prior to the creation of Adam. It was the rebellion of Satan.</div> <bR> <div> Revelation 12:7-9</div> <div> 7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, </div> <div> 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. </div> <div> 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> We have identified in this scripture that Satan is also called the dragon and the serpent of old. He is the same serpent that was in the garden of Eden tempting mankind. We also have identified in this scripture that the main combatants in this struggle are angels. Michael is an angel as we see in Jude.</div> <bR> <div> Jude 9</div> <div> But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> The Greek word for archangel here is "archangelos" which means "chief angel". In this passage in the Apocalypse we can positively identify three of the entities or groups as angels. "Michael" with "his angels" and the dragon with "his angels". The only entity left to identify is "the dragon." Why should we suppose that in this war of the angels that the dragon should not be an angel as well?</div> <bR> <div> Strong’s dictionary identifies the word for "dragon" as "a fabulous type of serpent." We know this is correct for Satan is also called "that serpent of old." Now a question (Mr. E) did not answer is, "If Satan the serpent is a beast that was created along with the other beasts of the field then how do we find him in heaven hanging out with the angels?" There are no other beasts that were created in the Genesis account that did such a thing.</div> <bR> <div> It should be clear enough that if Michael is an archangel and he is leading one group of angels, that the other group are also being led by an angel, this one being Satan. (Mr. E) need not work so hard to try to explain away the passages in Ezekiel and Isaiah. He need not try to say that what is being described is a man, even Adam. We are told plainly that a "cherub that covers" that stands in the presence of Yahweh, that walks among the stones of fire, is the being referred to. We have mention of cherubim in other places and they are not men, they are angelic beings such as those which guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden. (Mr. E) works hard to explain this away, but it is difficult to receive his interpretation.</div> <bR> <div> Now, a different note is that (Mr. E) says that Satan was created evil from the beginning. If we attribute Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 to being descriptive of Satan then we see this is not so for they tell us that "He was perfect from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him." (Mr. E) would deny that Satan was originally perfect and without defect and that he fell due to transgression being found in him, but we have other scriptures that speak of this transgression.</div> <bR> <div> I Timothy 3:6</div> <div> And not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> By examining this scripture we can conclude that Satan fell due to pride. This is what we find described in Ezekiel.</div> <bR> <div> Ezekiel 28:17</div> <div> "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; </div> <div> You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. </div> <div> I cast you to the ground..."</div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> The witness of these scriptures is that they support one another perfectly and they reveal that Satan was not created as evil, he became evil by corrupting his wisdom. Is it not also confirming that Satan is described as "being the sum of wisdom" and then having a corrupted wisdom, and the serpent in the garden is described as "being more subtle than any beast of the field." Strong’s says that the word for subtle means "cunning, usually in a bad sense." This is in perfect harmony with a wisdom that has been corrupted.</div> <div> We see that this being in Ezekiel was cast to the ground. We never see Adam described in such a way, but we have numerous descriptions of Satan being cast to the ground.</div> <bR> <div> Luke 10:18</div> <div> And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> Revelation 12:9</div> <div> And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 14:12</div> <div> "How you have fallen from heaven, </div> <div> O star of the morning, son of the dawn! </div> <div> You have been cut down to the earth, </div> <div> You who have weakened the nations!"</div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> (Mr. E) would try to convince us that all of these passages speak of different beings, but there is a great symmetry among them. I believe that Satan was an angel and he was cast down after he corrupted his wisdom due to pride. I believe it was to the earth that he was cast and that this resulted in the judging of the original world and it being made void, formless, and sealed in darkness as a judgment until such a day that the Spirit would move to remake the earth.</div> <bR> <div> If there were no rebellion in heaven and no war between the angels, if Satan were not cast down to the earth, then we find no reason to discover the earth in this state of judgment that is described in Genesis 1:2.</div> <bR> <div> But let me share another reason that I believe (Mr. E) is in error to state that Satan never fell from a previously perfect state, but that he was created evil. In I Corinthians we find this statement.</div> <bR> <div> I Corinthians 11:10</div> <div> Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> Many years ago I asked the Father to give me understanding of this scripture for it struck me as very odd. I wondered what a woman wearing a headcovering could possibly have to do with the angels. As I considered this the Spirit spoke to me and I saw the answer suddenly and I experienced that leaping in the Spirit that I spoke about earlier.</div> <bR> <div> The Spirit revealed to me that Satan was created as an angelic being with a high calling and that due to pride he began to see his calling as demeaning. He sought to rise above the role Yahweh had determined for him. He wanted to ascend.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 14:13-14</div> <div> 13 "But you said in your heart, </div> <div> 'I will ascend to heaven; </div> <div> I will raise my throne above the stars of God, </div> <div> And I will sit on the mount of assembly </div> <div> In the recesses of the north. </div> <div> 14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; </div> <div> I will make myself like the Most High.' </div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> In the same way, Yahweh has established an order among men and women and the woman is tempted to despise her calling and to ascend to a higher role. Yet a godly woman will refuse this temptation and she will cover her head as a sign of her satisfaction with Yahweh’s calling on her life. She will seek to neither rise above her calling, nor to fall below it. By wearing a headcovering she gives a sign to the holy angels that she has chosen as they have to remain in her calling. It also serves as a rebuke to the fallen angels (Satan included) who sought to ascend to a position the Father had not ordained for them.</div> <bR> <div> When the Spirit revealed this to me I knew it was true and I experienced a leaping in my Spirit at having seen the truth. A few years later Yahweh confirmed this truth to me when I was reading a book by Watchman Nee and he shared the same revelation.</div> <bR> <div> If we were to agree with (Mr. E) we would say that there never came a point of turning from being good and holy to becoming evil with Satan. If this were so then there would be no need for women to have a symbol of authority on their heads "because of the angels."</div> <bR> <div> (Mr. E) makes much of the following scripture:</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 45:6-7</div> <div> I am Yahweh, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I Yahweh do all these things.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> He uses this verse to proclaim that Yahweh creates evil in the sense of sin and that He created Satan as a fallen, sinful creature. This does not bear witness in my spirit, and (Mr. E) has distorted this scripture to bring forth this meaning.</div> <bR> <div> Much of the Hebrew scriptures use a type of poetic form that utilizes parallelism. In this poetic form a statement is repeated in another form that means the same thing, or its opposite quality is stated. By understanding this use of the poetic form we can gain a better understanding of many scriptures. This scripture is one of them that uses this poetic form.</div> <bR> <div> Note that in these verses a form of opposing parallelism is used. Light is contrasted with darkness, these are opposites. Peace is also contrasted with evil. (Mr. E) would have us believe that the evil spoken of here is sin and that Yahweh creates sinful beings. Yet sin is not the opposite of the word peace that it is being contrasted to. Calamity would be a better rendering, for peace and calamity are opposites. In fact, the NASU Bible has understood this contrast and they have rendered the scripture in a more understandable way.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 45:6-7</div> <div> I am Yahweh, and there is no other, </div> <div> The One forming light and creating darkness, </div> <div> Causing well-being and creating calamity; </div> <div> I am Yahweh who does all these.</div> <div> NASU</div> <bR> <div> Whereas (Mr. E) can misconstrue the KJV rendering to imply that Yahweh creates evil in the form of an unrighteous being, he cannot deduce this from the latter rendering. (Mr. E) states that this word "ra" in the Hebrew is often used to speak of the sin type of evil, but he does not tell you that in even more instances it refers to calamity of some type. Many words hold differing shades of meaning, and whereas this word can mean sin, it is also rendered in the following ways in the KJV from which he quotes: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, distress, grief (grievous), harm, heavy, hurt (hurtful), ill (favoured), mischief , misery, noisome, sorrow, trouble, vex, wretchedness.</div> <bR> <div> We must ask, "Which word is the proper one to use to translate in this instance?" We can make the right choice by seeing what word it is being contrasted with. It is being contrasted with "peace" which is the Hebrew "Shalom" which Strong’s defines in this way: safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace. None of these things are the opposite of sin, as (Mr. E) would have us to interpret this passage.</div> <bR> <div> Yahweh is saying, I create health, prosperity and peace, and I create the opposite of these things which would be affliction, adversity, and distress.</div> <div> Furthermore, we are shown that Yahweh does not make man sinful, so why should we think He would have made an angelic being or any other being sinful. James gives is this insight.</div> <bR> <div> James 1:13-15</div> <div> 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:</div> <div> 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.</div> <div> 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> If this is the process of sin in man, why should we not assume it is the same process with other beings. We are told that the angel or cherub being described in Ezekiel and Isaiah was originally perfect but that it became corrupted by reason of looking at its own splendor and that its wisdom was corrupted by pride. We are told that this pride is the source of condemnation for the devil.</div> <bR> <div> Now, I agree with (Mr. E) that the Devil is simply a minister of God. This is a mystery in that Yahweh can take what one being intends for evil and He can use it for our good. Joseph made this confession regarding his brothers. Certainly it was Yahweh’s will that Joseph be refined by the processes he went through and Yahweh’s end result was to use Joseph to bring deliverance to his family. Yet it was the evil of Joseph’s brothers that Yahweh used, and the evil of Potiphar’s wife. In the same way He can take the evil intent of Satan and use it for our good, and He does so constantly.</div> <bR> <div> I appreciate your sharing these things with me. It has been good for me to look at these issues again. As I look at the things I know that Yahweh has revealed to me, I see no way to reconcile them with (Mr. E's) teachings here. As I see it, Satan did fall from a perfect state, he is an angelic being that has been involved in leading other angels in battle against Michael and the angels with him. Satan has been cast out of his original position in heaven and his fall led to the destruction of the first earth and it falling into a state of being formless, void and covered in darkness. His failure was the same failure that godly women are demonstrating that they refuse when they don the headcovering. If I were to agree with (Mr. E) then all of these revealed truths would unravel and have to be denied.</div> <bR> <div> Thanks for letting me share these things with you.</div> <bR> <div> Your brother,</div> <bR> <div> Joseph</div> <bR> <div> E-mail: </div> <div> website: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Georgia" ><A HREF="http://heart4god.ws" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://heart4god.ws"><U><U>http://heart4god.ws</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>