I seem to remember seeing on the history channel, a special on Satan. In this show they stated that in the Jewish apocryphal texts were contained the first appearance of Satan, and that he sat at the right hand of God. Supposedly the job title for this position was the tempter and deceiver to test man's faith of God. Now of course Christianity says that Satan challenged Gods infallibility and fell, but doesn't Jesus, in Revelations, state the he will return to the right hand of God? Can anybody please point me to this apocryphal text, if it exists?
Satan, Jesus, and apocryphal
- Thread starter DethoS
- Start date
I'm not sure what text your talking about. Both the book that contains a story of Lilith(I believe this came after Jesus) and the book of Enoch dwell on demons. The assumption of Moses, or something like it, has a quote from St. Michael "may the Lord rebuke you[Satan]." Satan also appears in the book of Job and Joel. With interpretation Satan appears in Genesis, Ezekiel and Isaiah.
Satan used to have free access to heaven, when he was known simply as "the accuser". There he could accuse and slander people at will. He has no power to perform any evil actions, but uses deception and persuasion to tempt people to do evil (i.e. rebel against God). But when he tried to tempt Jesus he met his match, and was thrown out of heaven (Luke 10:18 and Rev 12:9). Now he incites people against each other and against God (more as our adversary than God's), but has no say in heaven anymore. Jesus is the only one who sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us (Romans 8:34).
Romans 8
13To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
If God did not let angels who serve his people sit there, why would he let one who accuses his people? But God subjected everything, including Satan and death, to Jesus (Hebrews 2), so that everything has to pass through Jesus. Nothing separates us from God anymore, especially not Satan.
Romans 8
13To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
If God did not let angels who serve his people sit there, why would he let one who accuses his people? But God subjected everything, including Satan and death, to Jesus (Hebrews 2), so that everything has to pass through Jesus. Nothing separates us from God anymore, especially not Satan.