Who is Satan? The sign of Satan

The Christian world is divided into two kingdoms: heavenly and underground. In the first rule God, he obeys the entourage of angels. In the second, the reins of government belong to Satan, who controls demons and devils. From time immemorial these two opposite worlds are fighting for human souls. And if we know much about the Lord (from church sermons, the Bible, stories of devout grandmothers), then one tries not to recall his antipode once again. Who is he? And how to properly call it: the Devil, Satan, Lucifer? Let's try to lift the curtain over an incomprehensible mystery.

Who is Satan?

Researchers claim that at first he wasthe majestic angel of the Day, the crown of beauty and wisdom. Bearing the stamp of perfection, one day he became proud and imagined himself higher than the Lord. This greatly angered the Creator, and he overthrew the stubborn and his followers into pitch darkness.

Who is Satan? First, he is the chief of all demons, demons, dark forces, the enemy of God and the chief tempter of people. Secondly, he is the embodiment of darkness and chaos, whose goal is to seduce true Christians from the righteous path. For this, he is a man in various guises and promises untold riches, fame and success, asking in return, according to him, the smallest - eternal possession of the soul.

Often the devil does not tempt the righteous himself, butsends his earthly helpers, who during life became companions of 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 the legends, will be taken away after the Second Coming of Christ.

Early references in Old Testament texts

At first the concept "Satanail", meaningsome kind of dark power. It came from ancient myths, in which this matter is described as the main opponent of the demiurge god. Later, 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 wants from us.

It is interesting that in the Old Testament texts his name -the denominator, denoting the enemy, the renegade, the unfaithful, the slanderer who opposes God and his commandments. This is how it is described in the books of Job and the prophet Zechariah. Luke also points to Satan as the personification of evil, who has infiltrated the traitor Judas.

As we see, in the early Christianity the devil does notconsidered a specific person. Most likely, it was a composite image of all human sins and earthly vices. People considered him a universal evil, capable of enslaving ordinary mortals and completely subordinating them to their will.

Identification in folklore and everyday life

Often people identified the devil with the serpent, takingbased on the stories from Genesis. But in fact, these assumptions have no basis, since in the pages of the source mentioned, the reptile is a typical trickster, a mythological archetype endowed with negative human traits. Despite this, late Christian literature considers the snake to be analogous to Satan or, at the very least, his messenger.

In folklore, he is also often called Beelzebub. But 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 "demon prince". As for Lucifer, he is not mentioned either in the Old or in the New Testament. In later literature such a name is called a certain fallen angel - the demon of the planet.

From the point of view of orthodox Christianity,true salvation from the devil's bonds will become a sincere prayer. Satan's religion is attributed to the power that he takes from the Almighty and turns him into harm, paradoxically being part of God's design. These contradictions often lead Christian philosophy into a dead end.

Later references

In the New Testament, Satan appears as a deceiverand the pretender, who is hiding under the guise of good people. This is a wolf in sheep's clothing - affirmed in the Acts of the Holy Apostles and in the second epistle of Paul. The most developed image was in the Apocalypse, where he is described as a specific person - the head of the kingdom of darkness and vices that generates offspring. The Son of Satan, the Antichrist, is also a fully formed image, playing a certain role: opposition to Christ and enslavement of people.

In the subsequent mystical, as well as ChristianApocryphal literature Satan acquires specific features and a line of conduct. This is a person who 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 right path, because we could not distinguish between the light and the dark, day after night. That is why the existence of the devil is an important part of the supreme divine design.

Satan's Shrouds

Despite the undeniable points of view, arguments and judgments, the devil is called in different ways. In a number of teachings, his name changes depending on the way in which he appears before humanity:

Lucifer. It is Satan who knows, who brings freedom. Is in the guise of an intellectual philosopher. Sow doubt and encourages to argue.
Belial. The beast is in man. Inspires the desire to live, to be yourself, awakens primitive instincts.
Leviathan. Keeper of mystery and psychologist. It encourages people to practice magic, worship idols.

This theory, which also deserves the right toexistence, allows us to better understand who Satan is. According to her, this is a certain defect with which a person fights. He can also appear before us in the female image of Astarte, pushing for adultery. Satan is also Dagon, promising wealth, Behemoth, inclined 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 a snake. The hood of the royal cobra can be seen on many Egyptian paintings and frescoes. It is a symbol of the expansion of consciousness, and the snake taking the pose of attack indicates the evocation of the spirit. Other characters say the following:

A pentagram directed downward. It symbolizes Satan himself.
A simple pentagram. More is used by sorcerers and witches to perform rituals.
Baphosim's emblem. The sign of Satan, inscribed on his bible. This is an inverted pictogram in the form of a goat's head.
Cross of Disorder. An ancient Roman symbol, meaning renunciation of the Christian values of the divine essence of Christ.
Hexagram. She is the "Star of David" or "The Seal of Solomon." The strongest sign of Satan that is used to summon evil spirits.
Signs of the beast. Firstly, this is the number of the Antichrist - 666. Secondly, they can also include three Latin letters F - it is the sixth in the alphabet, and three intertwined rings, forming sixes.

In fact, Satan's symbols are very numerous. They also are an inverted cross, a goat head, a skull and bones, a swastika and other ancient signs.

A family

The devil's wives are the so-called demonesses, each of which has its own sphere of influence and is indispensable in hell:

Lilith. Home wife of Satan, the first wife of Adam. Is a lone traveler in the image of a beautiful brunette, and then mercilessly kills them.
Mahallat. Second wife. He manages legions of evil spirits.
Agrat. The third in a row. Sphere of activity - prostitution.
Barbelo. One of the most beautiful. Patronizes treachery and cunning.
Elizazdra. The main adviser of the devil on personnel. It is distinguished by vampirism and vengefulness.
NEGATIVE. Demon of epidemics.
Naama. Temptress, which all mortal men desire.
Proserpine. Patrons of destruction, natural disasters and catastrophes,

The devil has other wives, but listedabove demonits the most powerful, therefore familiar to many peoples of the world. From which of them the son of Satan is born - is unknown. Most researchers claim that the mother of the Antichrist will be a simple earthly woman, but very sinful and vicious.

The Devil's main book

The Satan's Manuscript Bible was created at the turn of the centuryXII-XIII centuries. According to sources, wrote her monk under the dictation of the allegedly the devil himself. The manuscript contains 624 pages. It is truly huge: the sizes of wooden covers are 50 by 90 centimeters, the weight of the Bible is 75 kilograms. 160 skins torn from donkeys were used to make the manuscript.

The so-called Satan's Bible contains the Old andNew Testament, various instructive stories for preachers, various forms of conspiracies. On the 290th page the devil himself is drawn. And if the legend of a monk is fiction, then the "satanic image" is a fact. A few pages before this graffiti are flooded with ink, the next eight are completely removed. Who did this is unknown. The most interesting thing is that the "demonic manuscript", although condemned by the church, has never been banned. Several generations of novices have even studied the texts of Holy Scripture on its pages.

From the historical homeland - Czech Prague -The manuscript as a trophy in 1649 was taken with the Swedes to Stockholm. Now only employees of the local Royal Library, wearing protective gloves on their hands, have the right to leaf through the pages of the sensational manuscript.

The Church of the Devil

It was created on April 30, 1966 by the American AntonShandor LaVey. Founded in the 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 the community. By the way, it became the first officially registered organization that worshiped the devil's cult and considered Satanism its ideology. LaVey was the so-called High Priest until his death. By the way, he also wrote another Satanic bible of the modern version.

The Church of Satan accepts allwishing to reach the age of majority. The exception is the children of active participants already involved, since they have understood the satanic practices and teachings since the early years. Priests hold black masses - a parody of church worship, and also practice sexual orgies and sacrifice. The main holidays of the community are Halloween and Walpurgis Night. The dedication of new members to the secrets of the devil's worship is also noted on a broad footing.

How to protect yourself from the influence of Satan and his servants

The Church gives two practical advice thathelp save the soul from diabolical intrigues. First, one must resist temptations, and prayer will help in this. Satan is difficult to fight with pure intentions, sincerity, which we put in the basis of the appeal to the Lord. You do not need to ask for anything other than the strength and strength of the spirit, at the same time thanks to one more lived day and the little things that made it unique and colorful.

Secondly, you need to get as close to God as possible. Priests are advised to attend Sunday and festive services, fast, learn to be benevolent and honest towards other people, not to violate the commandments, to fight against vices, to reject temptations. After all, every step taken towards the Lord, simultaneously, removes us from Satan. Church ministers are sure: following their recommendations, each person is able to cope with demons living inside, thereby saving his soul and gaining a deserved place in the Garden of Eden.