In Hebrew sacred texts and religious writings there are references to “a satan” or “the satan” as it it was a noun rather than a name, and also as if there were many of them.
Remember that “satan” translates variously as “obstacle,” “adversary,” “accuser,” “slanderer.” Being “a satan” is a role. There are probably many entities that this applies to.
A few I see as being separate from each other but all probably satans are: Lucifer, Iblis, Beelzebub, Baphomet, Asmodeus, to name just a few. I would say Lilith is as well, but that might be controversial– in any case I think she’s more than earned the titles of adversary and accuser.
Your mileage may vary. If you think those entities are all one big Satan, that’s OK. If you think some of them are not satans, that is OK.
But I think this is a nice thing to keep in mind when wondering things like “Is Lucifer Satan?”
Here’s my beliefs- the Lucifer I know, have met, and believe in, is A satan. He is one of many satans, he is an accuser, a challenger, an adversary. I’ve come across many satan figures in my journey. But in my practices and beliefs, Lucifer is not The Satan. Satan does not exist to me. A being of pure sin and evil doesn’t exist, because there is no pure good, nor pure evil. God is not pure light; God, and all spirits, are capable of both malevolence AND benevolence. Thus, The Satan cannot exist, as pure darkness and evil, the polar opposite of God, because God is not pure light and goodness. In any matter, goodness and evil are social constructs, human morals. Spirits are beyond them. Back to the topic of satan being a title and role, it’s also really interesting to me to think about it, and what it can mean for the spirit who serves as a satan. Like Sammael, who I see as a satan figure- I see him as a tempter, a seducer, a challenger. Testing one’s faith in God. But Lucifer, he is a challenger of authority (most notably God here), ignorance, but more importantly, a challenger of the Self. In the Book of Job, where this concept of a satan comes from, “ha-satan”, works as an agent of God. Lilith, as a satan, challenged Adam, challenged divine will, and refused to submit to him. I think it’s beautiful what it can mean to be a satan. These spirits wear the title satan in their own way. And there’s so many more. You know what’s also interesting to me too? I read somewhere once, someone who offered an amazing perspective on Lucifer, or any fallen angel for the matter, as being a satan. What if, by being a satan, and by being a challenger, a seducer, an adversary, by testing one’s faith in God, they are working God’s will? Or even in doing so, they are regaining entrance back to Heaven one day? I mean, we know of some Goetic demons who wish to return to Heaven- like Phenex, save a few others that I’m too tired to remember right now. Who’s to say some don’t work for mercy to one day return? Like a story of Azazel that I know and love- and that I’m actually writing a short book about- when God presented to the angels Adam and Eve, and the creation of humans as his beloved, Azazel spoke out to God- “Why should a son of fire bow before a son of clay?” And God ordered Azazel to leave Heaven (some say he was the first ever angel to fall!), and he descended to the lowest pits of hell. He then spent one thousand years on each plane, ascending upwards, praying to God and worshipping him, wanting to prove that he loved God more than any human, and that he was worthy of returning home. He was so thorough in his devotion that, it is said not an area the size of a man’s hand wasn’t prayed upon. Its all interesting to think about. However, in my beliefs and experiences, Lucifer certainly isn’t set on returning to Heaven. He revels in the beautiful hell of a life he has bestowed upon himself. But yeah, this was all just my 3:00am rambling, hope it wasn’t too confusing.
Interesting additions. I definitely think some “satans” are working for God. In Judaism “satans” are seen as agents of divine will, for the most part.
Azazel is sometimes considered the same as Iblis, and the story you just shared is a good example of what Iblis is all about– devotion to God so excessive it got him in trouble. I tend to think Book of Job Satan is actually Azazel/Iblis, because he’s obsessed with proving the unworthiness and insufficiency of human devotion to God. (The story of Job also features in Islam, lending additional support to my opinion that Job’s Satan might be Iblis.)
On the other hand, Lucifer as a Satan is mostly a Christian phenomenon. The New Testament contains the passages that basically retcon the serpent in the garden of Eden and the character in Isaiah 14:12 into actually being Satan, where originally that was in no way explicit in the text or part of the beliefs about Satan. Other Luciferians will have different ideas and opinions on who Lucifer is (Babylonian, Canaanite or Roman deity?), but to me Lucifer is the serpent in the garden, and the one who lead a heavenly rebellion and was cast out for it. Christianity’s idea of Satan, compared to Judaism’s, is an independent force that vehemently opposes God and is powerful enough to be a real threat to him. To me, that’s Lucifer– the eternal insurgent who never stops fighting.
Church of the Morningstar 