The Truth About Satanism - Part 4

Now, to understand more, you need to remember Lucifer had been a “cherub” that stood around God’s throne. Study Ezekiel 1, and 10, and you will see the fantastic apparition of God’s throne that appeared to Ezekiel, wherein four cherubim transported the God of Israel about the universe.

Cherubim had four visages; that of a man, a lion, and eagle, and an ox. The primary appearance seems to have been that of an ox, (Ezk. 10:14). The calf that ancient Israel demanded be made was the representation of the “host of heaven” which God commanded Israel not to worship; the calf of an ox.

In many ancient civilizations, the four visages of cherubims are seen in art, literature, and the monuments. The famous “winged bulls” of Sargon’s place; similar representations of ox-like creatures, featuring a man’s head, eagles’ wings, and lion’s claws and tail, adorned palaces in ancient Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and many other nations.

Calf worship continued throughout much of the middle and far east; is extant among hundreds of millions of Hindus today – in India-- where the cow is sacred! But such worship was actually worshiped of the devil, who appeared, not as a little garter snake wrapped around a tree, but as a Nachash, something entirely different!

Granted, God cursed the serpent! Notice, however, “And the Eternal God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shall thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life” (Gen. 3:13-15). Apparently, the creature which appeared to Eve was not crawling in the dust, on its belly, but standing upright!

The Hebrew word for “serpent” (Gen. 3:1) is Nachash which means “to whisper, hiss; a magic spell; to prognosticate, divine, an enchanter.” The word connotes no hint of physiognomy, or appearance, but deals with character; with the effects of “whispering divination,” or enchanting prognostication.” But the Hebrew word for “snake” is tanniym, from a root which means “sea monster,” or “sea serpent,” or “serpent.”

Actually, we would better understand had the translators rendered the passage: “and God said to the whispering enchanter,” that it would crawl on its belly from that time forth, indicating the creature that appeared to Eve stood upright.

There is a close relationship between “seraphim” and “cherubim” in the Bible. Read Isaiah 6, together with Ezekiel 1 and 10, and notice the differences and similarities. Seraphim are created angelic beings possessing six wings, covering their faces and feet (as a sign of humility in the presence of Divinity) with two pairs, and flying with the other (Isa. 6). The Hebrew word saraph is used of the “fiery flying serpent,” a type of the devil, in Isaiah 14:29, the same chapter that refers to “Lucifer” as “son of the morning,” or shining star of the dawn. ‘Saraph” means “burning,” or “poisonous serpent, “and is the very same word used in Isaiah 6 translated “seraphim,” which is merely the plural for “saraph!”

Since Isaiah’s vision shows that the two “seraphim” were in the presence of God, and yet Lucifer was called one of the “cherubs that covered,” meaning one next to God’s throne, it is possible that both types of spiritual creatures are used to typify Satan.

What Eve saw, in the garden may have been a dragon-like creature, standing upright, perhaps glittering with a covering of precious jewels of every king – a mesmerizing, fascinating, whispering enchanter. The creature may have changed from one visage to another right before her eyes!

Who is not familiar with the story of “St. George and the Dragon,” and other mythological tales of men or boys fighting with winged fire-breathing monsters, which are at once serpentine, and yet have wings, claws, and huge bodies – yet speak? Think of childhood myths, such as Jack and the beanstalk, Jack the Giant Killer, and others. All these myths have something in common: The dragon, or fearsome giant or monster, guards a castle on a craggy hill wherein lies a fortune in gold, jewels; a goose that layed the golden egg – whatever. Where did the myths originate?

When Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, God placed cherubim to guard the entry into Eden! They possessed “flaming swords” which turned this way and that (Gen. 3:24) to keep people from ever entering the garden. These Cherubim were in place until the destruction of the garden, which did not take place until the flood of Noah – about one thousand years later! By then, the human population could have numbered into the tens of millions! One sixth of all human history from creation unto today has passed.

Did ancient sojourners attempt to enter the garden, only to be turned away by creatures appearing as an ox, or a lion, or a man, or an eagle, or portions of all four? How else do we explain God commanding the ancients not to worship the “host of heaven,” and the creatures which were worshipped by ancient Babylonians, Assyrians, and dozens of cultures in the Mideast? What is the famed “Sphinx” guarding the tombs of the Pharaohs, but a man-headed lion? The “gods” of Egypt featured men will eagles’ heads, oxen with lions’ claws and tail; every conceivable mixture of the four visages of cherubim!

The chief “god” of central and south American Indian cultures (Mayan, Aztec, Incan, Toltec, etc.) was Quetzalcoatl, which was a “winged flying serpent,” quetzal meaning “winged bird,” and coatl meaning “serpent”! The connection is too obvious to deny.

Satan is called a “dragon” in prophecy; a “flying, fiery serpent” in Isaiah: a “cherub that covereth,” in his original state; and is named Abaddon, Apollyon, the Tempter, the Accuser of the Brethren, and described by Peter as “a roaring lion” (I Peter 5:8).

It is clear from looking at the bizarre forms of religion in many societies today that the whispering, enticing “dragon” is being worshipped by the millions! Look at China, and their many dragon symbols, dragon societies; tattooing of dragons, serpentine forms used in parades and celebrations of various “times,” particularly, the Chinese New Year! To an extent, the same is true in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, and all of the Malaysian peninsula. More than five hundred million worship the ox in India- calling mere cows “holy”!

We in the West pride ourselves on being “Christian” societies; emancipated from such nonsense as dragon worship; calf worship; the worship of winged serpents and man-headed lions. But a serious study into the shocking origin of many so-called “Christian” customs would absolutely stun most people into disbelief! There is no more immediate example of this than the so-called “Christian” celebration called “Hallowe’en or the “Evening of All Hallows,” or “All Saints.” Is it any wonder Hallowe’en is one of the most important celebrations of modern Satanists, who resort to bizarre, sickening, human sacrifices in their devilish rituals?

Hallowe’en is an outstanding example of how an apostate church adapted Satanic, pagan rituals, dressed them up in “Christian” clothing as a counterfeit, and palmed them off on the professing “Christian” church! But dressing up like ghosts, demons, or the imagined (lying) appearance of Satan himself, and acting out avarice, greed, threatened destruction of property, together with the accouterment of Satanism, jack o’ lanterns, witches, black cats – is not “Christian,” but pagan to the core and is of the devil? You need to look into the real origins of the other professing “Christian “holidays as well! (Enroll today in our Mini-Series “Traditional Christian Doctrine” series).

John wrote, in vision, of the whole plan and purpose of God from the very earliest beginning of creation in the 12th chapter of Revelation. The first verse begins with a visionary picture of God’s true church, as a woman, who is about to give birth to a man child, Christ! Notice, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne and there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12:1-9).

As we have seen, Lucifer tried to overthrow God, and was hurled down to this earth, a perverted, avaricious, cunning, evil, powerful being now changed from his position next to God’s throne as “light bringer” into a “prince of darkness,” or the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). The universe was wrecked in the great “star wars” that ensued, and Satan and his fallen angels, now demons, were forced to remain in “chains of darkness” on this earth for perhaps billions of years during which the earth experienced tumultuous change: the burial of billions of creatures, whose decaying bodies now provide modern man with his fossil fuels.

At the moment God recreated the earth (Gen. 1:3), Satan was right there, immediately slipping in, influencing Eve, and through her, Adam, attempting to wreck and ruin God’s beautiful creation. Yet God allowed this to happen for a very great purpose.

Few understand that God is reproducing after His own kind; that creation was not finished with Adam – it had only begun! God created man in His own image merely as a physical prototype, for man is intended to be begotten of God, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; to overcome Satan, this evil world and human nature by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and to finally be born of God either by a resurrection, or by being instantaneously changed at the second coming of Christ (I Cor. 15:50-52).

You see, character is something which cannot be instantly produced! The history of Satan proves it, Lucifer was a created spirit being; an exalted archangel, near God’s throne. Yet, “iniquity” was found in him; he became vain, prideful, resentful of God’s power and position. He seethed with jealousy, vanity, lust, and greed. He allowed these emotions to pervert his mind; to give rise to evil desires, sinful plots.

But God is the very epitome of righteous character! There is no force, no other being which rules over God! God is self-governed! Character is the ability to discern the difference between good and evil, and the willpower, together with God’s Spirit to force the self to choose the good!

God said, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19).

Man has a choice. That choice carries with it the fact that each person possesses free will, free moral agency! The choice is ours, and no one else can make it for us! Listen! The following statement is axiomatic! Satan the devil cannot cause you to sin against your will; he cannot force you to do anything! God will not force you to obey against your will! Only you can make each decision. That is the very meaning of free moral agency.

James says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)! Why? Because Christ in us is more powerful than the devil. Demons fear God! “Thou believest there is one God (or, that “God is One”?) thou doest well the devils (demons) also believe and tremble” (James 2:19).

No Christian need be in terror of Satan. We need to understand his power, his evil influence, his subtle enticements. Paul, writing about the need for Christians to be in forgiving attitude, said, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (II Cor.2:11). Peter described him as a “roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (I Peter 5:8-9).

Few recognize that this is Satan’s world! He is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4), and has caused spiritual blindness to darken the minds of millions!

Satan is the author of much of this world’s music! Certainly, the horrifying stories of teens committing suicide after hearing “heavy metal” music is adequate proof. He is the author of “rap music” which adheres to violence and murder of police officers. He is also the author of much of this world’s entertainment; of its art, science, and literature. He is the author of wars, and evil inventions of death and destruction! Yet, Satan has never been able to do a thing God did not specifically allow!

Satan has never yet accomplished a single act that was not permitted by God! Satan fears God and must obey Him when God utters a command! Read the first two chapters of the book of Job and see how Satan could only have limited power over Job; how God ordered Satan to spare Job’s life, and Satan had to obey!

When Satan tried to tempt Jesus Christ, he subtly twisted scripture, tried to appeal to hunger, vanity. Christ answered with the truth of scripture. Then, when Satan asked Christ to bow down and worship him, Christ gave a command!  “Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan; for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10)! Satan was forced to slink away, cowering in fear: God the Father allowed the tempter to come, subtly try to cause Christ to sin. But Jesus Christ resisted every lying, whispering, subtle enticement of Satan, and then ordered him away. Satan had to obey!

And so, it is with us. Even as Jesus Christ cast out demons with His word, so He gave His disciples (later apostles) power over demons through His name. But few are truly aware of struggles against Satan. Most tend to think only in terms of emotional, mental, physical, financial “problems,” and never clearly identify the enemy!

God shows the very first thing He will do at the beginning of the one thousand-year reign of Christ, on this earth is hurl Satan into a symbolic “bottomless pit,” perhaps a “black hole” in the universe! Notice! “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:1-2).

So remember! Satan cannot harm you so long as you have the protection of God’s angels; so long as you have Christ living within you through the power of God’s Holy Spirit; so long as you are living a life of overcoming, through prayer, Bible study, and thoughtful contemplation and meditation about the things of God.

 
The Church of God, New World Ministries P.O. Box 5536 Sevierville, TN 37864