SATAN & DEMONS

SATAN (ADVERSARY / ENEMY): is the name given unto the chief fallen angel once known as Lucifer. Lucifer is said to have been "perfect in wisdom and beauty until iniquity was found in him." Lucifer had been the "Covering Cherub" a place of high position, but thought to make himself like unto God and worshipped. He was thrown down from his lofty position decree of God at some unknown point. We find Satan already fallen by the time man dwells in the Garden of Eden. Revelation 12 clearly identifies him as that "Old Serpent" the Devil. Contrary to popular opinion, the bible never places Satan as a king dwelling in Hell. He is in fact roaming throughout the Earth along with other rebellious angels seeking to oppose God, particularly in his plans for humanity. There is nothing biblical to suggest that Satan has been transformed into some monsterous red-suited, horned creature. He is an angel although rebellious and cast down.

DEMONS: are fallen angels who followed Lucifer in his rebellion against Almighty God at a point sometime before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. We do find that these angels have inhabited the bodies of unbelievers, particularly during the course of Jesus earthly ministry when he cast many out. Satan also indwelt Judas Iscariot as he went to betray Jesus to the Pharisees for money. There is no biblical evidence to support demonic possession of a truly saved person!

HELL

HELL (hades, sheol, Gehenna): There are three words interpreted as Hell in the KJV. Hades and Sheol refer to the abode of the dead and belong to the spiritual realm. Luke 16 gives a description of Sheol (hebrew) where the righteous dead were separated from the unsaved dead by a great fixed gulf. However all of Sheol was located in the heart of the Earth. Remember though that it lies in the spiritual realm. The Rich man of Luke 16 is clearly stated as being buried in body, but his soul is in Hell, in torments. In this place, the righteous are said to be comforted while the unsaved are in fiery torments and both are aware of the other. However, Ephesians 4 and Matt 27 make clear that Christ entered the side of Sheol where the righteous dwell and emptied that place, removing the paradise of God to the third heaven. So that now, when a believer dies the bible states, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Sheol is a temporary place of punishment which will one day deliver up its wicked dead (Rev 20) to the final "Great White Throne Judgment" of God where the books shall be opened all of the unsaved judged according to their works. These condemned are then consigned for all eternity to "The Lake of Fire" (Gehenna).

Since Gehenna (also rendered as Hell in places) replaces Sheol / Hades, it is not only a final place of punishment, but may be of a much greater degree. Also, the dead are said to be raised / resurrected to this final judgment, so that their final end in Gehenna may well be within the "Physical Realm."

HEAVEN

HEAVEN: commonly refers to the dwelling place of God beyond the physical realm of creation. However, there are three distinct "heavens" mentioned in the bible.

1. The dwelling place of God.


2. The Celestial Heaven including outer space, the various things within it.


3. The Atmosphere of Earth (also called the Firmament).

References in the Bible, usually associated with Heaven (God's dwelling place), many times describe the city of New Jerusalem which is made by God and will come down from God out of Heaven. (streets of gold, gates of pearl, etc.)