Christianity is divided into two kingdoms: the heavenly and the underworld. In the first, God rules, a retinue of angels obeys him. In the second, the reins of government belong to Satan, who controls demons and devils. From time immemorial, these two opposite worlds have been fighting for human souls. And if we know a lot about the Lord (from church sermons, the Bible, stories of devout grandmothers), then they try not to remember once again about his antipode. Who is he? And how to call him correctly: Devil, Satan, Lucifer? Let's try to lift the curtain on an incomprehensible mystery.
Who is Satan?
Researchers claim that at first he was the majestic angel Dennitsa, the crown of beauty and wisdom. Bearing the seal of perfection, one fine day he became proud and imagined himself higher than the Lord. This greatly angered the Creator, and he overthrew the shrew and his followers into pitch darkness.
Who is Satan? Firstly, he is the head of all demons, demons, dark forces, the enemy of God and the main tempter of people. Secondly, he is the embodiment of darkness and chaos, the purpose of which is to seduce true Christians from the righteous path. For thishe appears to people in different guises and promises untold we alth, fame and success, asking in return, according to him, the least - eternal possession of the soul.
Often the devil does not tempt the righteous himself, but sends his earthly assistants, who during their lifetime became associates of the dark forces: witches and black magicians. His main goal is the enslavement of all mankind, the overthrow of God from the throne and the preservation of his own life, which, according to legend, will be taken away after the second Coming of Christ.
Early references in the Old Testament texts
First, the concept of "Satanail" appeared, meaning some kind of dark force. It came from ancient myths, in which this matter is described as the main opponent of the demiurge god. Subsequently, the image was formed under the influence of Iranian mythology and Zoroastrianism. Added to this were people's ideas about evil forces and demonic darkness: as a result, we got a complete and fairly accurate idea of who Satan is and what he needs from us.
It is interesting that in the Old Testament texts his name is a common noun, denoting an enemy, an apostate, an infidel, a slanderer who opposes God and his commandments. This is how it is described in the books of Job and the prophet Zechariah. Luke points to Satan as the personification of evil, who possessed the traitor Judas.
As you can see, in early Christianity, the devil was not considered a specific person. Most likely, it was a composite image of all human sins and earthly vices. People considered him to be a universal evil, capable of enslaving mere mortals and completely subjugating them.will.
Identification in folklore and everyday life
Often people identified the devil with a serpent, based on stories from the Book of Genesis. But in fact, these assumptions have no basis, since on the pages of the source mentioned, the reptile is a typical trickster, a mythological archetype endowed with negative human character traits. Despite this, late Christian literature considers the serpent to be an analogue of Satan, or, in extreme cases, his messenger.
In folklore, he is also often called Beelzebub. But the researchers argue that this is a mistake. And they bring undeniable facts: in the Bible, Beelzebub is mentioned only in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark - as a "demonic prince." As for Lucifer, he is not mentioned in either the Old or the New Testament. In later literature, this name is given to a certain fallen angel - the demon of the planet.
From the point of view of orthodox Christianity, the real salvation from the fetters of the devil will be sincere prayer. Religion ascribes to Satan the power that he takes from the Almighty and turns to his harm, paradoxically being part of God's plan. These contradictions often lead Christian philosophy to a dead end.
Later references
In the New Testament, Satan appears as a deceiver and pretender, who hides under the guise of good people. This is a wolf in sheep's clothing - it is affirmed in the Acts of the Holy Apostles and in the second epistle of Paul. The image was most developed in the Apocalypse, where he is described as a specific person - the head of the kingdom of darkness and vices,procreating offspring. The son of Satan, the Antichrist, is also a fully formed image here, playing a certain role: opposing Christ and enslaving people.
In subsequent mystical and Christian apocryphal literature, Satan acquires specific features and behavior. This is already a personality that is the enemy of the human race and the main antagonist of God. Despite the censure in all religions of the world, it is an integral part of the dogma, the starting point for comparing good and evil, a certain criterion of human actions and motives. Without its existence, we would never be able to take the righteous path, because we would not be able to distinguish light from dark, day from night. That is why the existence of the devil is an important part of the highest divine plan.
Shapes of Satan
Despite undeniable points of view, disputes and judgments, the devil is called differently. In a number of teachings, his name changes depending on the image in which he appears before humanity:
- Lucifer. This is Satan knowing, bringing freedom. Appears in the guise of an intellectual philosopher. Sows doubt and encourages to argue.
- Belial. Animal in man. Inspires the desire to live, to be yourself, awakens the primitive instincts.
- Leviathan. Keeper of secrets and psychologist. Encourages people to practice magic, worship idols.
This theory, which also deserves the right to exist, allows us to better understand who Satan is. According to her, this is a certain vice with which a person struggles. He can also appear before us in the form of a woman. Astarte, pushing for adultery. Satan is also Dagon, promising we alth, Behemoth, inclining to gluttony, drunkenness and idleness, Abbadon, calling to destroy and kill, Loki is a symbol of deceit and lies. All these persons can be both the devil himself and his faithful servants.
Signs of the Devil
The most sacred is the snake. The hood of the king cobra can be seen on many Egyptian paintings and frescoes. This is a symbol of the expansion of consciousness, and the snake, taking the pose of an attack, testifies to the soaring of the spirit. Other characters say the following:
- Down pentagram. Symbolizes Satan himself.
- A simple pentagram. More used by sorcerers and witches to perform rituals.
- Baphomest Emblem. The sign of Satan inscribed on his bible. This is an inverted goat head pictogram.
- Cross of Confusion. Ancient Roman symbol, meaning the renunciation of Christian values of the divine essence of Christ.
- Hexagram. She is the "Star of David" or "Seal of Solomon." The most powerful sign of Satan that is used to summon evil spirits.
- Marks of the beast. Firstly, this is the number of the Antichrist - 666. Secondly, three Latin letters F can also be attributed to them - it is the sixth in the alphabet, and three interlaced rings forming sixes.
In fact, there are a lot of symbols of Satan. They are also an inverted cross, a goat's head, a skull and bones, a swastika and other ancient signs.
Family
The Devil's Wivesthe so-called demons are considered, each of which has its own sphere of influence and is indispensable in hell:
- Lilith. The main wife of Satan, the first wife of Adam. She appears to lonely travelers in the form of a beautiful brunette, after which she mercilessly kills them.
- Mahallat. Second wife. In charge of legions of evil spirits.
- Agrat. Third in a row. Field of activity - prostitution.
- Barbelo. One of the most beautiful. Protects treachery and deceit.
- Elizadra. The main adviser of the devil on personnel. Differs in bloodthirstiness and vindictiveness.
- Nega. Demoness of epidemics.
- Naama. The temptress that all mortal men lust after.
- Proserpine. Patronizes destruction, natural disasters and catastrophes,
The devil has other wives, but the demonesses listed above are the most powerful, therefore they are familiar to many peoples of the world. From which of them the son of Satan will be born is unknown. Most researchers claim that the mother of the Antichrist will be a simple earthly woman, but very sinful and vicious.
The main book of the devil
The handwritten bible of Satan was created at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. According to sources, the monk wrote it under the dictation of the supposedly devil himself. The manuscript contains 624 pages. It is truly huge: the dimensions of the wooden covers are 50 by 90 centimeters, the weight of the bible is 75 kilograms. 160 donkey skins were used to make the manuscript.
The so-called Satan's bible contains the Old and New Testaments, variousinstructive stories for preachers, various forms of conspiracies. On the 290th page, the devil himself is drawn. And if the legend of the monk is a fiction, then the “satanic image” is a fact. Several pages before this graffiti are filled with ink, the next eight have been completely removed. Who did this is unknown. The most interesting thing is that the "demonic manuscript", although condemned by the church, was never banned. Several generations of novices even studied the texts of Holy Scripture through its pages.
From the historical homeland - Czech Prague - the Swedes took the manuscript as a trophy in 1649 to Stockholm. Now only employees of the local Royal Library, wearing protective gloves, have the right to leaf through the pages of the sensational manuscript.
Church of the Devil
It was created on April 30, 1966 by American Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded on Walpurgis Night, the Church of Satan proclaimed itself the antipode of Christianity and the bearer of evil. The Seal of Baphomet is a symbol of community. By the way, it became the first officially registered organization that worshiped the cult of the devil and considered Satanism to be its ideology. LaVey was the so-called High Priest until his death. By the way, he also wrote another modern Satanic Bible.
The Church of Satan accepts into its ranks all comers who have reached the age of majority. The exception is the children of already involved active participants, as they understand satanic practices and teachings from an early age. Priests conduct black masses - a parody of church worship, as well aspractice sexual orgies and sacrifice. The main community holidays are Halloween and Walpurgis Night. The initiation of new members into the secrets of the devilish cult is also celebrated on a grand scale.
How to protect yourself from the influence of Satan and his servants
The Church gives two practical tips that will help save the soul from the devil's machinations. First, temptations should be resisted, and prayer will help in this. It is difficult for Satan to fight with pure intentions, sincerity, which we put in the basis of turning to the Lord. At the same time, you don’t need to ask for anything, except for strength and strength of mind, at the same time thanking for another day lived and those little things that made it unique and colorful.
Secondly, you need to get as close to God as possible. Priests advise attending Sunday and holiday services, fasting, learning to be kind and honest towards other people, not to break the commandments, to fight against vices, to reject temptations. After all, every step taken towards the Lord simultaneously removes us from Satan. The servants of the Church are sure that by following their recommendations, each person is able to cope with the demons living inside, thereby saving his soul and finding a well-deserved place in the Gardens of Eden.
