|
SATAN: Satan is lord of DEMONS and ruler of
hell in Christian and Jewish tradition (called IBLIS in Islamic texts).
His name is the Hebrew term for "adversary," as Satan's mission is to
frustrate the will of God. He is referred to in the Bible as "the
liar," "angel of the bottomless pit," and "the enemy." Satan is
sometimes identified as LUCIFER, the angel of light, although religious
scholars insist that the two are separate beings. Confusion arises
from passages in REVELATION: "There was a war in Heaven: Michael and
his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and this angels
and prevailed not; neither was their a place found anymore in Heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Rev. 12:7-9).
The name Satan is never applied to the
angel while still in heaven, only after the fall, although Lucifer is used
interchangeably. He is also known as the Prince of Darkness, the
Beast, the DEVIL, Black Angel, and Lord of the Abyss.
One thing is clear: Satan, although God's
adversary, is not his equal. The Bible states that Satan shall have
power "in this age" but that he shall be vanquished in "the age to come."
the DEMON has already suffered a painful defeat by Jesus Christ called the
HARROWING OF HELL. According to Christian doctrine, after Christ's
crucifixion, the redeemer raids the underworld and delivers the souls of the
virtuous dead to heaven. A second victory over Satan is foretold at
the LAST JUDGMENT, when the earth will be destroyed and the fiend will be
bound for eternity in the pits of hell.
Satan is a key figure in hundreds of works
of Western literature, most notably PARADISE LOST, FAUST, DIVINE COMEDY: THE
INFERNO, and PIERS PLOWMAN ( in which he is clearly identified as
being distinct from Lucifer). The dark angel is also prevalent in
MORALITY PLAYS, MEDIEVAL DRAMA, MYSTERY PLAYS, and artworks. In modern
times Satan is often a curiosity glamorized in HEAVY METAL MUSIC performs or
satirized in sketches on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, KIDS IN THE HALL, films such
as STAY TUNED and BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY, and in product
ADVERTISING. (o)
Resource List - entry taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
|
