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Yes Yahweh is a description.
It means Lord of enlightened. It means Lord of the host of heaven.

The person who's Yahweh is Jesus.

The same way accuser, the wicked, serpent, and adversary is a person and that person is Adam. You can either go with Christ and live or go with Adam and die. They're both different kinds of Adam.

Maynman:
What do you mean a description and a person?
Define both
Is “yahweh” a description or a person?

Weldone, This is a beautiful piece. I really enjoy when people take time study and come with Their findings, however wrong or right they might be.

That said, I'll like to tell you that you were unstable on so many occasion and need to find a balance.

To say all religions worship the same God is not just a mistake, it's a grave mistake. The sacrifice of humans in many religions is detestable in the worship of God through Christ. Why will one God have different standards. Is he then a partial God? Or is he a confused God?

I think the confusion is among humans just as Satan caused at the tower of Babel. That same confusion is on your face and this is why you're in grave error. I'll advice you take time to read the bible and study about Christ.

Tiphareth:
This is based on personal experience and the work I have been doing on for several years in christianity, Sharmanism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Alchemy, Esoteric Christianity, Mohammedanism, Hare Krishna, Sufism, Grail Movement, Freemanson, Martinism, Magic, Eckankar, Golden Dawn, New age religion, etc. I have belonged to many of these fraternities in a bid to understand what they do at various times. Hence, my 15-point statement is based on personal experience and not just fallacies, hearsay or what I merely read from websites.
Now, I have returned home after more than 13 years living in the UK. I have finally come to join the religion of my ancestors, "Wetin you dey find go Sokoto, e dey for shokoto trouser".
Tiphareth.

Lucifer is a description just as serpent is a description. However, Adam is a person. So what are you saying?

Why didn't any of the apostles call us gods? Or do you know better than all of them? Do you know better than Jesus also?

MaxInDHouse:
If you can think and make things better just as God did by creating life and making it meaningful then you are a god.
That's why God forbids humans from making images of flying, creeping, see or other creatures nor bowing to them {Exodus 20:1-5} because we are created in the image of God while all those creatures can't make any form of improvement in the way they do things.
Humans keep making improvements because we are created in the image of God! Genesis 1:26
So we are gods! Psalms 82

Learn

This is false analysis of the article. This is a rather malicious conclusion. May the peace of Christ water your troubled soul so that the foundation of truth might be laid in your heart.

The article doesn't say the devil is not the enemy, it just makes it clear that the serpent in Genesis is not the devil bc man (Adam) was not deceived, neither was he coerced to eat the fruit of unrighteousness. 1 Timothy 2:14

It was a conscious decision to disobey God. It was a well schemed plot to be as the most high and he concealed his inquiries afterwards I.e. he lied. Job 31:33

I pray you're not continuously blinded by false doctrines of the mainstream worshippers of a false Christ. I pray you learn the truth of God and I pray you're redeemed through righteousness. Amen!

Steep:
This is satanic!
This teaching is from demons. This is straight from the so called divine Feminine religion.
It seeks to redefine and reinterpret the bible.

The article
1. Try to separate the serpent from the devil
2. Try to not make the devil the enemy
3. It made the woman the one that overcame the serpent.
It was the seed of the woman that overcame, the seed is Jesus christ.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Folks the antichrist movement is real, they are trying to redefine Christianity in other to be able to mold it into their one world religion.

Jesus called the pharisees a brood of serpent s because they belong to the devil.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Don't be decieved! The serpent is the devil not the mind not another thing.

We don't learn the truth from google. We learn the truth from the scriptures. According to the scriptures, anyone who keeps anything by the decree of God is a Cherub.
Adam was a Cherub until he fell
Angels are Cherubs
Jesus was a Cherub
Believers are Cherubs.

I think it's high time you focused on the scriptures and not google. The truth is within the scriptures.
Did you not read in Revelation 22:9 when the angel made it clear that he's the same with us and all the prophet who "keep" the word of God?

Richy4:
A simple Google search can actually end this you know... Just type a question like are cherubs angles? We are not talking about their job descriptions here

That's not true. What you're saying is not the truth.

Cherub is a guardian or a protect. Nothing like an angel in the meaning of cherub. Cherub is an entity that has authority of God

Satan is the person that had the authority of God in the beginning. He was given power to protect the garden of Eden.

He was man and the father of flesh and the creator of disobedience against God and his name is Adam. Don't get deceived by falsehood.

Read the teaching I made on Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, they're here on nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/7289954/recognizing-bible-calls-lucifer

Richy4:
@ highlights, he was a powerful Angel.. An anointed guardian Cherub.. Ezekiel 28:14
Cherubs are one of the highest ranks of Angels

have you read the part 1 of this article? maybe that will help you understand better. Here's the link on nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/7288670/what-serpent-genesis-part-1

Kobojunkie:
LOL.... you folks never cease to amaze.

Jesus Christ said to those who are His followers- those who live their lives in continuous submission and obedience of His teachings and commandments, God's Truth -, by their fruits you shall know those who belong to Him from those who are not His. Obviously, one first has to be a follower of Jesus Christ to even recognize the fruits in question and also to know these fruits in others.

You can hold firm your "Christian" label, while I hold fast the fruits of obedience of God's Truth instead.

Dear father, we ask that you open our eyes to see and understand your truth through your word. We ask that you break the altar of blindness so we may see you in your word and recognize the lies and deception of this world. Teach us from your word and help us walk in your word. Amen!

To properly understand the vision of the prophet Isaiah concerning the person called the devil, we need to first lay the groundwork to understand this person’s ambition and aspirations by studying his antics from the beginning. This will help us properly understand who he is and his anger towards us, and why he wants everyone on his side.

Let's first go back to Genesis 2: God first formed Adam, then he proceeded to make a garden befitting God and placed Adam in this garden; the Garden of Eden.

When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he gave him a mission or a destiny. This destiny is activities that Adam was supposed to undertake to help him become what God wanted him to become. As with every destiny, there’s a destination, and the destination of Adam was to become the man whom Christ Jesus became; the man who sits on the throne of God.

Adam’s mission or destiny was that he should “keep” the garden, i.e. to protect and preserve the garden to fulfill God's plan (Genesis 2:15).

After God had given him a mission, God also gave him a commandment of how to live in other to fulfill this mission Genesis 2:16. By obeying the word of God, Adam will fulfill his mission but if he decides in his heart to disobey the word of God, then he'll not fulfill his mission and will lose focus and perish.

So Adam was to guide everyone and everything in the path of God; to fulfill God's plan; to protect all that was in the Garden of Eden.

Now look at the statement of the serpent: ye shall not surely die, but ye shall be as Gods.

So the question here is: why did the man eat even though he had already known that he will be as God if he eats the fruit? Does it mean that he wanted to be as God? The more important part is that Eve was wandering away from the word of God, why was Eve allowed to wander without protection? Wasn’t the man told to protect everything in the garden? Does this mean he was not functioning in his destiny or mission?

The question is: why didn't he function in his destiny? It’s because he was blinded by something else, he had already lost focus by this time and was focused on his own ambition.

What was Adam’s ambition? How do we know this ambition?
When we realize that Adam already knew what he'll become before he accepted the fruit. it was not as though he was deceived, he already knew what he would become and this is why the bible makes it clear that he was not deceived 1 timothy 2:14.

If he already knew what he'll become, it was now a case of whether he desired it or not; whether he desired to be as God or not.

Genesis 3:22: And the lord said "behold the man has become as one of us"

This shows that the man desired to be as God. He had the ambition to be as God, which achieved but threw away his destiny or mission in the process.

How was he as God?
Was he limited as you and I? He was not like you and I, he was able to judge and create precepts just as God. Adam was made as the son of God (Luke 3:38), i.e. He was made to do the will of God; to bring to manifestation the mind of God.

As he became as God, he was able to have his own image and able to make sons after his own image who will do his own desires and not the desires of God. Thus all men are born in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3; 1 Corinthians 15:45), to do the will of Adam.

Thus, Adam achieved the ambition to create a kingdom devoid of God in which he’ll reign supreme, and have sons who will bring to manifestation his will and populate his own kingdom where he'll rule and be as the father, i.e. author and highest authority. This is the account of Genesis.

Now, let's first discuss Isaiah 14:

We'll start reading from Isaiah 14:4

Note: Isaiah 1:1 makes it clear that the book of Isaiah is a vision. It’s all about things to happen which had not happened. So everything Isaiah says in the book had not happened when Isaiah spoke.

So Isaiah took up a proverb against the king of Babylon; a king walking in disobedience to the will of God. He was acting the will of man, which was contrary to the purpose of God for man.

So we can say the king of Babylon was walking the path of Adam and bringing the will of Adam to fulfillment & acting against the mission of God.

Now if you read further you'll see it clearly that the king of Babylon was just a body acting out the will of someone else, and this is clear in Isaiah 14:12 when they start mentioning the person.

Isaiah 14:12
Isaiah said he was a “son of the dawn” or “son of the morning” or "son in the beginning". This means this person was in the beginning even Jesus mentioned, and he was a son in the beginning (John 8:44).

Who is a son?
A son is a person or entity who is born to do the will of another; a person who acts out the will of another.
So this person who was being talked about here is a person who was supposed to do the will of God in the beginning.

Who was given the will of God in the beginning?
Adam was told to keep the Garden of Eden in the beginning. Adam was the son of God in the beginning who was supposed to act out/carry out the will of God in the beginning. This indicates that Isaiah was talking to Adam here. This will become clearer as we read ahead.

Isaiah 14:13
Here Isaiah is explaining why he prophesied that this person will fall from Heaven. He starts his statement with "for" which is used to explain further or give a reason for a particular statement. E.g. Thou shall not eat of the tree in of knowledge, “for” in the day thou eateth from it thou shall surely die. The word “for” is used here to explain why Adam was told not to eat of that tree.

So Isaiah 14:13 for why this person called Lucifer was cut down to earth. This is because the person called Lucifer said in his heart that he'll ascend to heaven. This means Lucifer’s ascension to heaven in the first place was by his own will, it was not the will of God. It was by his own works and not the power of God. We can see clearly that he was not in heaven in the beginning, his presence in heaven was a purpose of his own heart and not of the heart of God.

Why did Lucifer person purpose to ascend to heaven?
Isaiah verse 14 spells it clearly, it's to be as God; to be as the Most High.

What is Adam’s desire in the beginning? It’s to be as God.

After this Isaiah starts talking of a similar victory to the one in the beginning, where God saw it that Adam will try to take eternal life by himself, and God took it away beyond his reach. This person called Lucifer does things by his own efforts in defiance of the mission of God which is contained in his will. This is why God is against him and so he never gets anything done. He ascended to heaven by his own will and because of this, he shall fall. This is what Isaiah was telling this Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:16
This is an important part of the proverb because it says when Lucifer has been totally defeated and brought into hell, those who see him shall wonder and say, is this the "Man" that caused all the problems on earth? So apparently he’s a man who claims to be God or some powerful angels.
When we study other parts of the bible that talk about this person called the devil, we’ll realize he’s Adam and all that talk about him being one powerful angel that fell from heaven or created with God is all lies that he told all men.

When logic becomes your wisdom then you're bound to be led into a pit.

Your words are rather too arrogant for the kingdom you represent. Must you respond to everything? If you have to respond to everything then it means your conscience judges you guilty.

It means somewhere down inside of you, you know that building this is not right so you try to justify building it..

Why not build if you're not going to heaven soon? This is not expected. I hope the grace of God find you and may you know the righteousness of God and live in his or precept. I pray your heart is changed and may you be saved

flamingREED:
Thank you Jesus.
You said you'll draw all men unto you.

For those thinking 'why build if you'll go to heaven soon?'..
'why not build of you'll not go to heaven soon?' is equally logical.

Second, even if we go to heaven tomorrow, we'll still reap the full rewards of our contributions there.

Third, though the antichrist will grind the world in a motar of pepper and salt,
At Christ's millennial reign some of these structures could be useful throughout the peaceful thousand years.

Fourth, how can someone be asking about safety measures?
Are the foreign engineers your mates?
Did not your government agencies carry out extensive investigations?
How can you be so out of touch with reality?

Fifth, why will people keep thinking the poor built the church?
Does it look like your village people mere market square abandoned structure?
I might boldly say most poor donated nothing at all.

Sixth, I hope you're aware that your misery, heart-burn, disappointment and idle talk will not only increase but also might cause you stroke, poverty and divine judgements?

The church is marching on and the gates of hell shall continue to wail and gnash their teeth.

Repent today and enjoy the peace of Christ.

The people who created this and brought it to manifestation do not care about heaven anymore. Their riches is on earth here and this edifice is part of the commonwealth.

Those who are heaven bound don't waste money building edifices, they spend such money on people and making sure that people enjoy the benefits of a congregation bc they understand that people are the edifice of God. These ones' s edifice is not people but a mixture of clay and mortal

chrisxxx:
And u tell me these people would all leave this and go to heaven

Thank you for your quite opinionated reply. I appreciate that you took time to read and see that I was only breaking the false beliefs with this part of the article.

I'm sorry you didn't find it interesting as I hoped it'll be. However, kindly check the part two of this topic. It's on the nairaland. That part pinpoints what the serpent is. Thank you again, God bless you and give you is wisdom and understanding and the power to do his will. Amen

Greatzeus:
You don't know how to write. Your article is vague. You keep asking questions,and start blabbing without giving a definite answer.
This is a constructive criticism,you need to learn to specify a point and answer it expressly.
If you climb the pulpit,your congregation might start missing service because they even get head or tail from your boring conversation.

learn

REVISITING SOME GENERAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
What is the serpent in genesis?
This probably is the most controversial among Christian beliefs needing re-visitation. The belief in every denomination of Christianity posits that an entity called the devil was in heaven before the beginning and he was there when God formed man and gave man power, and dominion, and in a fit of rage and jealousy against man, the devil warred against God resulting in his defeat and fall to earth. It further posits that in a bid to mock God and thwart God’s plan, the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden, became or possessed the serpent, deceived Eve, and caused the Fall of Man.

This narrative, though well-crafted, and very satisfying, has lasted since the beginning of the modern Christian era (since the dawn of the Catholic Church) but it does not answer the numerous questions arising from this line of thought. It also contradicts many citations of the same event in other parts of the Bible, and hence needs to be revisited.

This belief (or very similar) like every common belief is not unique to Christianity, it’s held by every Abrahamic religion, and many other religions. Cultures like ancient Babylon, Canaanites and Turanian races worshiped the serpent as the liberator of mankind and giver of insights or wisdom, believing it to be a wise and powerful angel that liberated mankind from God.

Points of discussion:
Did the devil sneak into the Garden?
It’s a grave error to say the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden because this is highly improbable. Among the revelations made by prophet Ezekiel is that God ordained the devil and placed him in the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:11-14).

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

The fact that God ordained the devil and placed him in the Garden of Eden nullifies the idea that the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden to disrupt God’s plan. Also, the war in heaven did not happen until after Christ Jesus was resurrected so the belief that the devil fell as a result of this war and infiltrated the Garden of Eden afterward is not biblical.

Is the serpent in the Garden of Eden an entity?
The general belief in all Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) is that the serpent mentioned in Genesis chapter 3 is an entity. This belief cuts across almost every religion on earth and even atheists, and animists who claim not to believe in God have this information ingrained in their minds. This belief is not based on knowledge of the truth in Christ, hence its commonality even among irreligious persons.

Although the writer of Genesis did not specify that the serpent is an entity, people only think the serpent mentioned in Genesis is the entity who is called the devil largely due to influence from pre-existing beliefs, and secondly because they seek an external entity to blame for the fall of Adam and the subsequent death of all men through Adam.

Was the serpent a physical snake?
The main reason many people think the serpent is a physical snake is that they see the word “serpent” in the Bible, and their minds interpret this to them mentally. This satisfies them and influences how they interpret every other information about the biblical serpent; aligning everything to support the interpretation given by their minds.

The statement that initiates this belief is where the serpent was introduced in Genesis. Those who say the serpent is a physical snake support their claim with the verses where the serpent was mentioned, yet nothing can be established from this because the different Bible translations contradict each other on their position on what the serpent is. Here are examples of popular Bible translations that contradict each other on the subject.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. -Genesis 3:1 KJV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. - Genesis 3:1 ESV.

Both statements appear the same, but they contradict each other grammatically. The word “any” used to compare the serpent with “beast of the field” in the KJV Bible is used to compare a particular thing to the entirety of a group that it’s not a part of. The statement in the KJV Bible means the serpent is not a “beast of the field” and it’s wiser than all beasts of the field.

The phrase “any other” used to compare the serpent with “beast of the field” in the ESV Bible is used to compare a particular thing to other members of its group. The statement in the ESV Bible means the serpent is a beast of the field, and it’s wiser than other beasts of the field.

For example, it’s rather nonsensical to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any” European country because Germany itself is a European country, but it is very correct to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any other" European country. Also, it’s nonsensical to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any other” African country because Germany is not an African country, but it is very correct to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any” African country.

Having learned the difference in both translations, we’re certain that one of them is wrong as both cannot be right, yet we must not assume which of these translations is right. The only way to know the truth is through an uninfluenced and thorough search in the scriptures because the scriptures interpret themselves.

Another reason why many people think the serpent is a physical snake is because of what God said about it.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14 KJV).

When many people see the verse above, their mind quickly pictures a snake and how it moves, and they conclude that the serpent is a physical snake because snakes crawl on their belly. Some even go as far as assuming that snakes did not crawl on their belly before God made these statements.

However, no part of the statements indicates that the serpent is a physical snake if studied in context obtainable within the scriptures and in the revelation of the scriptures by the apostles in the New Testament, and even when the statements are grammatically analyzed.

The first part of the statement reads “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above “all” cattle, and above “every” beast of the field;” The words “all” and “every” used in the statements like the word “any” used at the beginning of the chapter have no restriction, they are used to express totality. They are used to compare a thing to the totality of a group. Therefore, this statement means the serpent is neither a cattle nor a beast of the field, and it’s cursed above all beasts of the field.

However, the same statement in the ESV Bible contradicts its earlier position about the serpent. It reads “The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above “all” livestock and above “all” beasts of the field;”. Grammatical analysis of this statement shows that the ESV Bible holds that the serpent is neither a livestock nor a beast of the field because it uses the word “all” to compare it to livestock and beasts of the field.

The other part of the statement that convinces most people that the serpent is a physical snake is this: “upon thy belly shalt thou go, dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:” When they read this statement, their minds instantly picture physical snakes, and convinces them that snakes eat dust while crawling on the ground. This satisfies them and they become sure that it was a physical snake that spoke to Eve. It’s this assurance that spurs them to assume that maybe and just maybe, snakes did not crawl on the ground before the serpent was cursed.

However, we do not interpret scriptures this way. Scriptures are not interpreted with mental pictures or by observing animals, scriptures are only interpreted by proper study and careful observation of other scriptures, and understanding the context of the use of every word and statement.

Both statements are idiomatic or cultural expressions, they are not as they appear. The statement “upon thy belly shalt thou go” is an idiomatic expression used to state that someone or something will be defeated and disgraced openly. This is a common practice in the past. When a king defeats his arch enemy, he ties him up to his horse and drags him around in his domain to disgrace him openly in the same place he was exalted.

The statement “dust shalt thou eat” is an idiomatic or cultural expression used to state that someone or something will be completely overpowered and defeated very easily. Usually, when two arch-enemies fight and one is more powerful than the other, the powerful one beats up the other to a pulp and feeds him sand. This is a show of easy and absolute victory.

When speaking about such a fight, the first question is: was the loser fed with sand? If the answer is No, this means although such a person was defeated, they still put up a fight and still had some strength left in them after the fight, but if the answer is Yes, this means that the loser was heavily overpowered and beaten to a pulp so that they couldn’t resist while being fed sand.

Although proponents of this belief run off with a mental interpretation of the scripture, the Bible explains these idioms by finishing the statement with a colon (, a punctuation mark used to direct attention to the matter (e.g. lists, explanation, or amplification) that follows. This means the above statements are explained or amplified by the statement that follows, and that statement is:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

Therefore, the statements “upon thy belly shalt thou go” and “Dust shalt thou eat” are idioms explained or amplified by the verse above, and it’s about a fierce enmity between two arch enemies; the woman and the serpent, and not about a physical snake crawling on its belly on the ground. The message stated here is that the serpent will be overpowered and defeated effortlessly and disgraced openly in its domain by the woman.

All mentions of the serpent in verses one through fifteen of the chapter, do not have any indications whatsoever that the serpent is a physical snake, especially when the statements are carefully interpreted to reveal the message. The belief can neither be grammatically nor scripturally established, it’s just a conclusion based on a limited understanding of grammar and the significance of every word used and statements made in the chapter.

Why do people think the serpent is the devil?
There’s hardly anyone on earth who does not think that the serpent mentioned in Genesis is the entity called the devil. The reason for this belief is because the Bible calls the devil “that old serpent who deceived the whole world”. This leads most people to think that the devil was the serpent in Genesis.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ((Revelation 12:9).
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2).

Those who say the serpent is the devil usually conclude in their mind before they even look at the bible, so they align everything the bible says with their preconceived thoughts. However, the Bible did not explicitly state that the devil is the serpent that deceived Eve for the same reason it was not recorded anywhere at all that any entity caused the fall of Adam. People have only carried this belief from ancient traditions and religions, some of which have existed long before the truth was revealed in Christ.

Serpent is the general description for a kind or pattern of existence that’s based on the nature of the serpent. The “serpent” is not unique to the devil, anyone can be called a serpent, and this is why the adjective “old” is placed before “serpent” when addressing the devil. This is to signify that he’s the old one; the oldest of all serpents.

While most people try to enforce this belief as the message with just these two verses mentioned above, others have confused themselves even further by mixing up this belief with important revelations made in the New Testament. One such revelation about the serpent is seen in Colossians 2:15, which references the open defeat of the serpent earlier mentioned in Genesis.

15 and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

The confusion here is that most people mistake the word “principalities” and “powers” for entities, so they assume that it was the devil that was defeated openly as mentioned in this part of the bible. However, the word “principality” means a state, office, or condition ruled by a prince, while the word power means the ability to act or produce an effect (or fruits as scripturally used). The victory here is over the state or condition and the ability to produce fruits of this state.

We see from here that the serpent is the principality of this world and it has the ability to produce fruits (of this world), it’s where the prince of this world operates and the power he uses. It’s a state, condition, office, or power, it’s not an entity. The devil is the prince of this world who operates in the principality and uses its power. The devil is called a serpent because he operates by the serpent, anyone who operates by the serpent is also a serpent. This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees were also called serpents because they operate by the serpent and use its power.

The open victory mentioned in this verse (Colossians 2:15) is the same victory that was testified in the beginning, it’s over the state or condition ruled by the prince of this world and the ability to produce fruits he wants. It’s saying that the woman will come into this world and not operate by the serpent and shall not produce any fruits by it.

The Bible further states it explicitly that the serpent is just a principality so that there should be no arguments or confusion but some still confuse it for the enemy. Jesus spoke about this when he gave us powers over the serpent.

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)

According to this, the serpent is not the enemy (the devil), yet it’s something that we power over. By comparing scripture with scripture, we compare this statement to the earlier one in Colossians 2:15, this establishes the fact that the serpent is just the principality and the power, and not the entity. It’s the state that the entity called the devil operates and the power he operates with. It’s this state that was openly disgraced where it’s the power to rule and whoever operates by it is as God in this world.

The devil is not the serpent that was mentioned in Genesis, the devil operates by the serpent, and this is why he’s called after it. Anyone who operates by the serpent is called after it, however, the devil is the oldest of them all who operates by the serpent, and hence he’s called the “old” serpent. The devil’s aim is to make everyone else walk after him, operate by the serpent, and harness its powers for selfish use.

This is just part one of this article, you can use the link to a google drive to read other topics discussed in this article. All articles are FREE and written with grace for the furnishing of the brothers in Faith
Thank you for reading…

Learn!!!

Check this out

Everything you say about Satan is not biblical, it's all just European and Arabian junk story. You know how those people like myths and falsehood, that's how they falsified their stories as biblical interpretation.

Satan is never a powerful angel. That's not in the scriptures. Satan was not who God in the beginning, that's also an European tale.

As a Christian, you first need to know what the scripture says about Satan before you know if he's Ekwensu. The European story does not align with the bible but scriptural account aligns with Ekwensu.

I wrote a thread about Satan and the explanation of Ezekiel 28 where the bible talks about the devil. Check it out pls.

Aside from always wanting to counter God and created an alternative solution to God's word, there's nothing you said about Satan that's true.

AkuOlisa:
We are not in anyway saying that there's no Satan. What I'm only saying is that what we regard as Satan in igbo as Ekwensu is not Satan. Now let's analys it in this way.

The Christian Satan couldn’t possibly be the Igbo Ekwensu. At least, that is what their different stories tell.

The Biblical Satan was once a high ranking angel in heaven who revolted. After he was defeated alongside his army, the Biblical Satan was cast off heaven.

Ekwensu, however, is a Pantheon God of Igbo Traditional belief’s system. According to word of mouth history, Ekwensu is the god of trades and bargain. He is seen as a wonderful negotiator and a trickster. This role makes him a go to god due to the commercial nature of the people. Since Igbo Traditional worship is pantheistic, worshipping Ekwensu as a personal God wasn’t uncommon among the people in times past.

Well, according to the Bible and the Koran, there is a being or beings called Satan. For Christians, Satan was once an angel in heaven who fell out of grace with the Biblical God. In Islam, most evil spirits are regarded as “Šayṭān“.

Most Christians of Igbo extraction call Satan “Ekwensu” in Igbo dialect. However, ‘Satan‘ is not “Ekwensu” of Igbo Traditional worship.

Happy reading. I hope you have been able to learn a new thing today. Please share if you enjoyed the knowledge.

Remember that We had our type of government, ways of communication, believe systems, spirituality, ways of trade, justice system, health system, defense system, e.t.c.

I am in not in anyway against Christianity. I am a Christian, and still a Christian, but we have to face the fact. When they ey came with christianizing everything about us, changed our names, our cities names, our towns names, our calendar, our believe systems, demonizing our sacred things and all that we hold dear, our ancestors were labelled demons that we now bind and cast them, they put a knife on what held us together and severed it.

That was how “Ekwensu” became “Satan” …. in Igbo cosmology we don’t have Satan’like entity, who is opposite of God, was once an angel of God, rebelled against God with some angel with him, and now snaring humans into disobeying God, from whom all evil emanates, … No we have no such entity in Igbo cosmology.

The character they re portraying as the person of Satan is all the story of Europeans and when depicting it they draw a wicked black man with horns and tail inside what they called hell fire, the beginning and the end of the story of Satan is European, it has no place in Igbo cosmology.

Ekwensu is a powerful deity of war in Igbo land, it’s shrine is located in Anaku, Anaku is in Ayemelum local government area of Anambra state, just like we also have Haaba Agulu and Agwazi Uga these are deities of war and there re other deities of war and different purposes in Igbo land

Though you are free to regard whom you ever believe is Satan.

They said Satan is Ekwensu in ìgbo, then what is the name of Jesus in Igbo?

Copied from
Igbo history from Facebook

I would imagine you're saying this bc you haven't read the bible. Alas, I'm sure you've read the bible but couldn't understand it and this is why you're saying this kind of things.

I'll advice you to get a KJV bible and read it again to know what that place means. There's something calls idiom in speech and craw on your belly is an example of such idiom. To craw on your belly means to be defeated and disgraced. It doesn't mean a snake crawl on it belly.

Don't you watch in movies where people are defeated and tied to horses or caravan to craw on their belly? Don't you watch where people defeated their enemy and make them craw on their belly? It's a show of victory and not what you think it's

You can read the article I wrote on the subject. It's here. It's part one and two. Talking about the serpent in Genesis

dazzlingd:
A shame to yahweh, he said he cursed the snake to walk on its belly. Science keep disgracing that god everyday. Shame jehovah
How do people believe that cock and bull story anyway

You're right friend and i appreciate that you took time to read my long reply and thought it wise to reply out of your kindness so I say thank you.

However, I'll ask you to pardon me to call you to certain facts according to the word of our master and God.

Jeremiah 3:1-25 shows us how God treats our adultery. He takes us back even after we've committed adultery. He cleans us and set us back where we belong every time. This is why he's God. If we are to be like our father in heaven according to the word of Yeshau our master, then we must be ready to clean an adulterous partner and set them where they belong.

Marriage is an unbreakable union. This is why it's the most solid of all structures of existence. It's the hinge of salvation. If marriage is breakable them salvation is breakable bc salvation is a marriage.

There are many people who are still married in the eyes of God though they themselves have separated. They shall suffer for breaking what God has joined together. They're not our standard. We must not look at them, We must always look at the word of God for the truth and not our wayward neighbors doing the imagination of their minds.

Look at these things pls. May you receive understanding to learn these facts amen

TheGift:
What if the Woman is not interested in the union by Her actions? You can drag the harlot to your house but it is She that will choose to stay there.

And who says marriage is not breakable? Marriages break everyday? And there are many that are married on paper and in mouth but not in Heart, nor in spirit and truth.

That God hates divorce doesn't mean that marriages with unwilling partners should be forced. Yes God hates divorce. And God also hates adultery.

The adulterer has already done the divorcing in the process of adultering.

This is the most painful things a man can go through. It's the worst of all sins unto another. I really feel your pain bc I know this pain is even unto your soul. Sorry brother and I hope God gives you the strength to do the right thing.

However, since I know there are many kids out here who will advice you off their minds, I'm poised to give you a manly advice.

There's never a reason we love people. Usually love should never be bc of the next person but sadly it's become so in the world we find ourself. People have become selfish in love and this is why we have system of cheating partners.

The emotional thing to do is to send her packing at this instance and keep pictures of her messages as evidence in case you have to go to court but life transcends emotions. In fact, foolishness is to live and make decisions based emotions.

Marriage is a union, it's not a breakable union, that said a man must look not to break his marriage at any point in time. I know this experience will be painful but healing is sweater than any pain. The reason you're who you're is that you might become like God someday, through reasonable decision, patience, understanding, forgiveness and self control.

You need all of this to come into place for you at the moment. I can remember but there's a story in the bible about a man who married a woman and she went harloting. The bible says he went to the whorehouse and picked her up and cleaned her and set her in her place as his wife.

You're that man and that's how God has been picking you up and cleaning you up every time you go on running after money in idolation. Living for money is idolatry before God and almost everyone in our country Nigeria is guilty of this. I believe you have forgive your wife by think of ur kids as you've mentioned. After you've forgiven her, call her and ask her what she wants. Ask her if she wants the marriage or not. Let her know she doesn't deserve ur forgiveness but you're doing it for God and for the poor kids that you've brought into life through her.

Let her know she has to work out her respect back before you. Create standards in the relationship that will hopeful help you guys conquer the fury of gossips and further attacks from this so called Ex. May the good Lord help you brother. God bless you

Welldone brother. I know you're vexed in your soul with the mediocre Christianity of our present society. Keep pushing the good message that God may save some through you.

Kei144:
Nowhere in Scripture do we see invitations being given to raise our hands if we want to follow Jesus. Could these superficial ways people are now being called to follow Jesus have something to do with the superficial ways many Christians are now following Him?

As Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, He bids Him come and die.” They are to die to their former life and no longer live for themselves, but for Him. In the New Testament, when someone made a commitment to follow Jesus, they were immediately water baptized, which represented a total commitment and change of life. Could this supplanting of the biblical way to commit to Christ with easier ways to “accept Jesus” be why believers today live far more casual, superficial lives? There is a great contrast between the radical nature of believers in Scripture and what is acceptable today.

This may also explain why as many as 95% of those who “make a decision for Christ” are not “added to the church” today. In the New Testament, 100% of those who committed to following Jesus were “added to the church” (see Acts 2:47). In the New Testament, to be water baptized was a bold public statement of their commitment to die with Him, so they could also be raised with Him.

It’s not about the water; it’s about the most important commitment of our lives. Just as a wedding is not about a marriage but about a commitment to be married, so is baptism. It is a commitment to die to this world and be raised to a new life in Him—to follow the King, live for Him, and do His will, not ours. We should make big deals out of weddings because the marriage commitment is so important. How much more important is being joined to the Lord?

This is not to judge anyone’s salvation by how they made a commitment to the Lord. As the Apostle Paul said, “The Lord knows those who are His” (see II Timothy 2:19). However, we are also required to judge others by their fruit. Can we really believe someone “gave their life to Jesus” when there is no change in their life or lifestyle thereafter? Could it be that shallow messages that lead people to make shallow decisions lead them to think they are “saved” when in fact their eternal lives are still in jeopardy?

Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say” (see Luke 6:46 NKJV)? If we really believe He is the Lord and Creator of all, what can possibly eclipse our devotion to knowing, following, and obeying Him in all things?

The Scriptures declare that those who believe in the Lord Jesus will be saved. The Greek word eis translated as in here literally means “into.” Eis means to be transferred from a position outside to a position inside. The knowledge of who Jesus is, is a start, but as we are told, even demons believe this, and demons are obviously not saved. Believing in Him, or that He existed and exists today as King of kings is not the same as believing into Him. To believe into Him will result in a radical change of life and will be attested by the fruit in our lives.

If we are one who has come to Him by a shallow message that only required a shallow devotion to Him, then “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart…” (see Hebrews 3:7,15; 4:7). Those who truly believe in Him, not only occasionally visit with Him, but they also live in Him. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Knowing Him as the Way is how we start and knowing Him as the Truth is how we continue, but neither of these are real to us if He is not our Life.

https://publications.morningstarministries.org/word-for-the-week/choices-part-13?mc_cid=d33f2e249e&mc_eid=c2cf9b7234

There's wisdom in listening and shutting up, especially when you don't have any meaning thing to say at that moment.

Are you oblivious of the superficial Christianity we have today? Where did that come from?

WatchYourSix:
So how exactly do you want new believers to be identified in a large congregation and encouraged for continuous spiritual fellowship.... ?? Must eveeything be written in the bible word for word ..at the uppper room people came and ask peter that tgey too want to be saved after peter preached to them the significance of what they witnessed...

..is it evil to ask?? Is it a sin??
....no be by force to follow jesus naa
.na ordinary ask them ask...

You're in every topic of the Christian faith yet you self is not a Christian. How ironic that is. Learn to stick ur mouth where you belong. Have a beautiful day. God bless you

Kobojunkie:
How can the serpent be Satan? I understand those who hold this idea continually attempt to use John's statement in revelation to assert it so, but if you carefully review what is in the scripture of the serpent, you find you cannot and should not arrive at the serpent being Satan.

For one, the serpent was created when God created all other creatures on earth, so the serpent was created of the physical elements of this world, not an immortal being. So when exactly did a mortal creature make this transition to becoming an immortal being, Satan?

Second, according to God, Satan will be judged by Jesus Christ in the end, yet in Genesis, we are instead told that God judged the serpent after Adam fell. Why would God judge any being twice?

Yes, Satan is the father of lies but satan as the serpent itself makes little scriptural sense.

This is probably why you speak blindly about every topic of the scriptures. It's quite funny that you people who are blind to the gospel of Christ always seem to think you know it better.

It's just like a blind man telling you that you're not seeing what you see clearly, claiming that they have a better view. This makes you wonder at the level of audacity with which such a blind man speaks. At the end of the day, you'll understand that he's just a confused blind man who's troubled and wants to be heard.

But then, if such a blind man continues doing that, he becomes a person to avoid. At first, you'll be compassionate to him and understand that he's joking and wants attention but when this becomes his character. You'll likely not speak to them about the beauty and brightness of the day bc you know he's going to claim he sees better what he doesn't even see.

I'll advice every Christian not to engage this fellow anymore and maybe pray for him with that time instead.

Kobojunkie:
But I have never been one of them Jehovah's witnesses, or any of your other Churchian groups. From where I seat, there is no difference between you and the Jehovah's witnesses you love to hate since you all, against Jesus Christ's commandments, peddle lies using His Name - Matthew 15 vs 1 - 14 & Mark 7 vs 1 - 13. So?

Good morning to you friend, I hope you had a beautiful sleep and I wish you a wonderful day.

I'm poised to think you didn't read the article, nor did you read the bible, maybe you did read bible but your translation is the problem but you certainly didn't read the article.

I'll advice you to take some time to actually read the bible, KJV or RSV is the best out there. After you've actually read the bible, take some time to read the article too bc your claims, though audacious are not inline with what the article or the scriptures say.

For example, the scriptures didn't say Adam and Eve received the commandment of God, the scripture makes it clear that Adam was given the commandment even before Eve was created Genesis 2:16. This makes Adam the person who received the commandment of God and the firsr priest of God, and Adam was responsible to give the law of God to everyone else. Priest of God tell people the mind of God and give them God's commandment. They usually receive the commandment of God directly from God. Moses is an example of a priest of God bc he also received the commandment directly from God

Also, the scriptures do not say that the Garden of Eden was decorated with stones. The scriptures say that this person called the devil had a covering of stones Ezekiel 28:13. But here you're trying not to acknowledge the truth about the second stanza of the poem and this has blinded you from seeing the facts clearly. Read again and you'll see the that God was talking to the person there by saying "your covering was stones" and this person was also placed in the Garden of Eden but you twisted this to say it was the Garden of Eden that was covered with stones. Your claim is not true according to the scriptures..

Lastly, I'll advice you to be humble enough to learn and this entails not trying to twist facts even when it doesn't suit your mind.

I'll not be engaging you anymore and it's saddening that i must do so. I value people who value facts. You're not a person of facts so I do not feel comfortable to engage such a person. We're in a plane of learning and I find it a total waste of time engaging someone who doesn't want to learn and whose sole aim is to argue and even change facts just to keep arguing.

Anyways I really appreciate that you engaged me this much but I must go now. God bless you. I pray that the peace of Christ find your soul and may the darkness around not engulf you. Amen!

Kobojunkie:
1. Where in scripture do you have the devil telling you this of himself?

I don't believe at all that the identity of the one who is the devil is a mystery at all. What I instead see are people choosing denial as opposed to the truth of who he is.

2. The entire dirge/poem is directed at the one and the same person, the King of Tyre. God made this abundantly clear in verse 12.

3. Read the passage above, there is no introduction made, anywhere in the context of a second or third person. And as for the mention of the garden of Eden, obviously, it isn't a direct reference to the same garden in Genesis given that this Eden is instead laden with precious stones, something more associated with that found in the palace of a king for instance. Your first-person theory does not make sense given that the poem continues to make references which apply to a man and even with the mentions of the words "Eden" and "Cherub".

4. Let me more clearly respond here to your questions.
* who was this second person God was talking about? There is no second person mentioned by God in the above poem which was meant for the ears of the King of Tyre.
* who was the man in the Garden of Eden? - Scripturally, Adam and Eve were the only humans in the garden of Eden. But since this is instead a dirge/poem, God's reference even to the garden of Eden is not meant to be taken literally given that the garden here is described as a place filled with precious gems, and not creatures, plants and animals as the biblical Eden described in Genesis.
* who became as God? - Well, kings are described as gods to their subjects but some kings go as far as to demand worship from their subjects as if they are in fact gods in their right.
* who was the priest of God in the beginning? - God had no priests in the beginning since God spoke directly to the man and woman He created in the garden of Eden. So the reference in the dirge/poem to a priest of God need not be taken literally but instead figuratively by paying attention to what is the context.
* who got the commandment of God and whose mission was it to guard the Garden of Eden? - Again, Scripturally, God's commandment was given directly to man while He was in the garden of Israel. And the installation of a guard over the garden of Eden only happened after man was expelled from the garden. So, again, to figure out the meaning of the reference, one needs to pay attention to the context of the poem/dirge and not try to add that which does not agree with scripture.

Kobojunkie:
Ezekiel 28 is a set of Poems spoken by God Himself to Kings in the Land of Tyre and then to Siddon. There is no devil or Satan mentioned or referenced, only men, flesh and blood,able to die like other men.
A second poem is found right after the first, also addressed to the King of Tyre, an,d in this you find that God also includes imagery that caused ignorant men to attempt to also insert their delusions into His mouth, against His commandment to them.
God made clear in His messages/dirges who they are each about and meant for.

I think you're right with everything you've said, you only need to think now.

Yes, you're right when you say that the poems were directed towards men; men who claimed to be as God. An important thing we know of the devil is that he claims to be as God, he wants to be seen as God, it's the fundamental thing we know of him. However, his identity has remained a mystery till today.

The first stanza of the poem was directed to the "prince" of Tyrus, but the second stanza changes it's tone and starts addressing another person who's also just a man but claims to be as God. It says this person was in garden of Eden and was anointed to guard it and it was God who placed him there.

The first person was just a man who claims to be God, he wasn't in the Garden of Eden, He only became confused of his reality bc of pride, but the second person in the second stanza of the song is also a man who claims to be as God but he was in the garden of Eden.

Now think! who was this second person God was talking about? who was the man in the Garden of Eden? who became as God? who was the priest of God in the beginning? who got the commandment of God and whose mission was it to guard the Garden of Eden?
May grace be to you and may the spirit of Christ guide you to all spiritual truth. Have a wonderful day in the light of God. Beyond everything, God loves your soul and wishes to cloth you with his righteousness.

Discussing Ezekiel 28

This is a sequel to the discussion of Isaiah 14. check attached tweet for that.

Ezekiel 28:1-2[/i]
This is a proverb unto the "prince of Tyrus", a man who had been overtaken by Hubris that he now calls himself God. This man became so proud that said he's God bc he seats the throne of God, in the "midst of the sea".

What we can learn here is that this man, prince of Tyrus is just a prince i.e. he's the son of the sovereign. A sovereign is one who exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere. The limited sphere, in this case, will be this world, a world of limitation. while the sovereign is the devil, the father of all in this world.

Another thing to learn here is: why did the prince of Tyrus become proud? He said he's God bc he occupies the seat of God, "in the midst of the sea". the phrase "in the midst of the people" can be well broken down according to the scriptures.

1. Sea scripturally means a very large number of people.

2. the phrase "in the midst" is used to indicate an internal happening; in the mind.

Therefore, the prince of Tyrus says he has occupied the throne of God, in the mind of so many people, and for this reason, he's as God, what he was saying is that he has occupied where God is supposed to seat in the minds of so many people and for this reason, he is as God.

to further interpret the message, we'll interpret what the throne of God means. the throne of God is our heart. it's our consciousness. This man says he occupies the consciousness of the mind of most people so that makes him as God.

Ezekiel 28:3-5[i]
This man was said to be wiser than even the prophet of God, Daniel. This man knew so much of the world's secrets and there's nothing hidden from him, and with this wisdom, he acquired so much riches for himself. This is what led to his Hubris.

Ezekiel 28:6-7[/i]
God said bc he has puffed up his mind, he'll raise strangers unto, which a kind of people he's never encountered before. These people shall war against him, they shall not respect him and shall trash everything he holds dear.

Ezekiel 28:8[i]
God said this prince of Tyrus shall die the death of them that die in the midst of the sea.

Recall, in the midst of the sea means in the mind of so many people. Therefore, to die in the midst of the sea means to be murdered in the minds of so many people. To be murdered in the mind is to be hated bc to hate someone is to murder them in the mind 1 john 3:15.

So God says to the prince of Tyrus, you who had been loved by so many people shall be hated by even more people and this will cause you to fall into the pit, which means depression. You who were glad and gloried bc you were loved by so many shall be hated by so many people and you shall be depressed by this, you shall not know joy.

Ezekiel 28:9-10[/i]
God asks this man, will you tell them who shall kill you that you're God? these people hate you and do not care about you and seek only to kill you, to them you're just a man and they shall kill you like an infidel, they shall not give you an honorary death or regard you while you die.

Ezekiel 28:11-12[i]
this part is directed not to the "prince" of Tyrus but to the "King" of Tyrus, the sovereign one, the one whose will the prince of Tyrus was acting. This proverb has now shifted from the prince of Tyrus to his father, the king; the devil.

God says to the devil, you secure all wisdom, you're the emblem of wisdom & you're the totality of everything that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind. Ezekiel 28:13
God says to the devil, you had been in Eden, the garden of God, every precious stone was your covering. What you should do i.e. your destiny was prepared for you in the day you were created.

what we can see learn here is that the devil was in Eden and he was not in the garden by chance, he was there by the mission of God. In fact, it was his destiny to be in the garden of Eden, for what he shall do was made for him there in the day he was created. Leaving the garden of Eden was by his own effort and not God's will for him. This person called the devil is not spiritual bc his covering was of stones and not the spirit of God.

There's the covering of the spirit and there's the covering of natural things, and this person called the devil never had the covering of the spirit of God, his covering was of natural elements, making is cover from that of the spirit of God Isaiah 30:1. Spirit entities are covered by the spirit of God, but natural entities are covered by natural elements. So this person's called the devil had a covering of elemental stones, which makes us know that he's an elemental or natural person, and the totality pleasurably to the senses.

Ezekiel 28:14[/i]
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
this part needs to be rightly divided or broken to give the proper understanding of the message. So let's break down this verse into its component parts:

[i]Part 1:
thou art the anointed cherub that covereth

Cherub means guardian, if a person is a guardian, it means they're guarding something. So this person called the devil is anointed to guard or keep something in the beginning.

A cherub can be anyone, it does not necessarily to be an angel. Cherub is a symbol of God's authority. Anyone who keeps or guards something ordained by God is a Cherub. Believers are also guardians of the gospel of Christ. this makes everyone who believes in Jesus a Cherub. This is why the angel said to John "Don't do bow to me! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who "keep" the words of this book"

Anyone who "keeps" something of God is a Cherub. Those who were also anointed to "keep" the way of the tree of life after Adam had been driven out of the garden of Eden were also called Cherubs.

All this leads us to properly understand that the person called the devil was the person commanded to "keep" or protect something in the beginning.

Part 2:
; and I have set thee so

This part is just a closely related way of saying the same thing said in the first part of this verse. it's all talking about the devil's destiny. God said to the devil I set thee so, this statement means I placed you there or I commanded you thus.

if read this in context with the preceding Ezekiel 28:13, we are able to properly understand what God was saying to this person called the devil, which is:

"You were in Eden the Garden of God, you had a covering of all the natural elements, I anointed you to protect it; I placed you there"

This helps us understand that the person who God placed in the garden of Eden in the beginning is the person called the devil.

Part 3
: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God

This part explains the everything said from Ezekiel 28:13. This is why it starts with a colon, indicating that it's explaining the statement before the colon.

interpretation:
It says the person called the devil was in "the holy mountain of God". the mountain of God is a place of fellowship with God, it's God's presence, it's a place for the priest of God. No one can enter the mountain of God unless they're a priest of God: Moses; Elijah; Jeremiah; Daniel and Jesus are examples of people who were in the mountain of God. The mountain of God is a place of communion with God, it's a place for sons of God.

So this person called the devil was a priest of God in the beginning, he was responsible for making the mind/precepts/commandment of God known. He was placed in the garden and was commanded to protect it. This person also communed with God in the beginning.

Part 4:
; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

This part is closely related to part 3. It's another way of saying that the person called the devil was on the mountain of God. this is why it's separated with a semicolon.

interpretation:
the presence of God is as a burning fire, to walk in the presence of God is as to walk in burning fire. So this person called the devil walked in the presence of God in the beginning. This is also in support of what God had said that this person was a priest or a son of God in the beginning.

Ezekiel 28:15
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

this part tells us the innocence of this person called the devil when he was created. this person was created without fault or guilt until he did something that made him faulty or guilty, and so guilt or fault was found him. That's to say this person called the devil brought guilt or fault into himself in the beginning by his own handiwork.

What can be learned from Ezekiel 28:15 is that this person called the devil is not ignorant of his guilt or fault. He knows he's guilty but he's estranged, i.e. he feels indifference about it and is not ready to change. This is why this person is represented in revelations to the prophets as a Dragon bc Dragons are believed to have a very hard heart. Thus, this person called the devil is referred to as the great Dragon bc of his hardened heart, a heart that refuses to change or repent, or feel remorseful. So this person called the devil was unrepentant or unremorseful in the beginning.

Ezekiel 28:16[/i]
This part explains further what the devil did in the beginning. it's a sequel to Ezekiel 28:15.

God says by this person's continued dealings, his guilt filled him with violence and this caused him to sin.

So God says he'll cast him out of the mountain of God, and from the midst of the stones of fire. what this means is that this person called the devil will be cast out of the presence of God and from communing with God, and shall be destroyed.

[i]Ezekiel 28:17[b][/b]
this part talks about the mode of operation of this person called the devil. He corrupted his wisdom with his cleverness, by wanting to scheme or outsmart. He was proud and thought he could scheme around and not get caught.

This person called the devil is the master of schemes, that's his method of operations. He schemed in the beginning. This person called the devil is not a straight forwards person, nor is he a responsible person. He's always trying to outthink or outsmart. This happened bc he became proud for the wisdom he possessed.

So God says he'll cast this person down and bring him down, he'll lay him down before kings in disgrace so that they might see him for all the lies he's been telling about himself.

what we've learned so far is that this person called the devil whom Isaiah said he went to heaven of his own efforts had not been cast down at this time, he still had access to heaven. This is why God said he'll cast him down to the earth so that he cannot access heaven again.

Ezekiel 28:18[/i]
This part needs to be rightly broken down to give proper understanding. So we'll be breaking the verse into its component parts.

[i]Part 1:
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities,

this part lets us know the kind of entity this person is. it's said here that the devil corrupted his sanctuaries, which are his holy place. This makes us see that the devil is like a regular human. Humans have bodies which is the temple of God and their soul is like the holy of holies of this temple.

This person called the devil is likewise a temple unto God but he corrupted his sanctuaries such that God cannot dwell in him. This means he corrupted his Will, mind, and emotions such that God is not seen in his will, in his thinking, and in the expression of his emotions, everything was of him.

Part 2
by the iniquity of thy traffick

This part further stresses it for us to actually know what this person did in the beginning. God was telling us that this person plotted wickedness in the beginning. Wickedness is this person's pattern of behavior. He plots wickedness and derives joy in doing that.

Part 3
therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

This part is God revealing his decision to bring down this person called the devil. He says he'll cause intense anger in the mind of this person, and this anger will drive the devil mad from within, and this will mark the beginning of his downfall. He'll be brought low that everyone will see him.

Ezekiel 28:19[i][/i]
All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

This part shows that those who finally see this person called the devil will be surprised when they realized who he is. Just as Isaiah 14:16 says that those who see the devil shall ponder about him, this place shows us that they'd be surprised at his identity, especially those who had been walking in his path and had been worshipping him.

In summary, these are things that can be learned about the devil from reading Ezekiel 28:

1. He was placed in the garden of Eden by God
2. He was a cherub of God and his mission was to keep or protect the garden of Eden.
3. He was a priest of God, i.e. he was a mediator or a mouthpiece of God, & the one who received the commandment from God, and was responsible for passing God's commandment to God's creation.
4. He was the schemer in the beginning and tried to even outsmart God.
5. He came out of the garden of God by his own efforts, and bc of the fulfillment of his ambitions.
6. Everything most people know about him is a lie as they shall be astonished when they finally see him.
7. The devil is the father of wickedness and lies.
8. The devil tries to wriggle himself out responsibility for his action through his wisdom, thus corrupting his wisdom.
9. The devil, like Moses broke the commandment he received from God and didn't trust the word of God.

Looking at every fact as obtainable in the scriptures, the first man Adam is the person called the devil:

1- For Adam was the person that God placed in the Garden of Eden Genesis 2:8
2- Adam was the Cherub whose mission was to keep the Garden of Eden Genesis 2:15.
3- Adam was the schemer in the beginning, who schemed and was diplomatic with his reply to God in the beginning.
5- Adam was the one who came out of the garden of Eden by his own efforts; by the reason of his decision to go against God's pattern and rule, and bc he wanted to be as God.
6- Most people have been taught that the devil is one powerful angel that was existing before the existence of the world. These are just well-crafted falsehoods originating from the devil Himself. This is why those who have been worshipping the evil shall be astonished and shall ponder in their heart when they finally see him and realized that he was just Adam, the almighty father of all flesh.
7- the father is the father of lies as he was the one who broke the truth and he was the source of all wickedness in humans. He's the reason violence, vengefulness and deception are natural for humans.

Thank you for reading. Take some time to properly understand what you've read and May we all have the grace to understand the message. May we receive the grace to put off Adam and take up Christ. Amen

...

houseofwind1:
You're Jehovah witness right? I see that from your twisted bible. I do not blame you, i hope you find the light of Christ some day. Good night

Christians work and know within the scriptures and not outside it. this lost book you mentioned was probably thrown away bc it was unnecessary and so is the knowledge anyone can gain from it. God bless you as you stay within his territory

Carcholce:
From the book of Thomas. The lost gospel.

Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. In the days when you consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive. When you come to dwell in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"



I’ll break it down

1. This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away.

2. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. In the days when you consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive.

3. When you come to dwell in the light, what will you do?

4. On the day when you were one you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"


Can someone help? Thank you!

REVISITING SOME GENERAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

Are we really gods?
Are we gods? What are gods? What do the scriptures say about gods? These are some basic questions a person must ask before believing they’re. But people are just as quick to accept beliefs from very limited or unverifiable information even as these beliefs are easily formed. Hence, some people belief they’re gods without proper interpretation of what it means to be gods within the context of the scriptures, and others have accepted this as true without asking the basic questions.

This belief is not unique to Christianity, it’s peddled by both Christian and non-Christian preachers. Proponents of this belief claim that it’s written in the bible that we are gods so that automatically makes us gods. However, they tend to carefully avoid the basic questions in their claims and when teaching it to others.

The Christian version of the belief posits that inasmuch as Christians are borne by the word of God, they’re gods. In fact, some Christian preachers go further with this to say that since God is divine, every Christian is also divine. Due to the cloudiness of this belief, preachers of this belief go as far as comparing God to animals in trying to convince their audience. They say a goat can only give birth to another goat, a lion will likewise give birth to another lion, and so also will a dog, bird, elephant, etc. give birth to another of their kinds. Therefore, God can only give birth to his kind.

The non-Christian version of the belief posits that all men are gods. Proponents of this say that what happened to Jesus is not unique, it’s attainable by anyone. They further speak of something known as Christ consciousness, which is: being in tune with the universe. They say that anyone who attains this consciousness is as God or god as the case may be. They say that unlike the personal God in Christianity, God is actually the universe or the source of everything, and everyone else is as gods when they get in tune with the universe.

Both beliefs were created from a particular verse taken out of a chapter of just a book of the scriptures; verse 6 of chapter 82 of the psalmist’s writings:

6 I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High (Psalm 82:6).

This belief is further supported by a comment Jesus made in response to his accusers:

35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; (John 10:35-36)

We might get convinced of this belief because it’s been padded with the scriptures, but as we reflect on it, were become faced with questions like:

• Was Christ also gods?
• If yes, then why didn’t he or the bible say so?
• If not, why do certain pastors say we’re gods, aren’t we supposed to be like Christ?
• What then are we?

It’s clear that the scriptures called men gods, however, it’s not very clear what kind of men were called gods, so it’s important to know the kind of men called gods. How do we know the kind of men called gods? It’s first by knowing the meaning of the Hebrew word translated as “gods”, then reading the verse within the context of the whole chapter, and doing a proper search of the scriptures to compare the whole statement to other parts of the scriptures talking about the same or similar thing.

The Hebrew word:
The Hebrew word translated as “gods” has a few meanings, chiefly of which are judges or angels. This means when the scriptures say “ye are gods”, the word gods could either stand for judges or angels: ye are judges; ye are angels. Those who peddle this belief say that the word “gods” stands for angels, but looking at the whole chapter of the message helps us understand what the word stands for.

82 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

The whole context of the message in the chapter is about judgment, in fact, verse 2 of the chapter has God directly asking them how long will they judge unjustly. It’s awkward that anyone will take the word “gods” and make it something separate from the context of the whole chapter.

Although this should nullify the belief that we’re gods, searching through the scriptures; comparing different instances where the same word was used helps us fully understand the true meaning of the word and the message in the Psalms.

What does the word “gods” mean in the scriptures?
The first time the word “gods” was used in the scriptures is in Genesis, where the dialogue between Eve and the mind was recorded.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5).

The direct information to note here is that disobeying God will make man as gods, and when man disobeyed, God confirmed that man has become as gods, and knows good and evil.

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: (Genesis 3:22)

The statement “the man is become as one of us” is where God confirms that man had become as gods because of his disobedience. This implies that those who were called gods in the context of Psalm 82 were disobedient to the commandment of God in righteousness.

The specific attribute or quality that qualifies a person/entity as gods is the ability to know good and evil. Although many might think knowing good and evil is literal, that’s not the case in the scripture. The term “knowing good and evil” needs to be defined within the scriptures. An important part of the scriptures that helps us define this is seen in the conversation between God and Solomon.

9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? (1 Kings 3:9)

From the statement above, we see that the ability to judge people defines the knowledge of good and evil. Using this information to interpret other parts of the Bible, we see that being gods and knowing good and evil means being able to judge people. Therefore, those who were called gods in the Psalms were those who judged the people, they were not angels or divine in any way.

Understanding Psalm 82:
The first thing to note about Psalm 82 is that the message was a prophecy, it was talking about something to happen. The whole context of the message in Psalm 82 tells us that God judges among gods i.e. God was judging amongst judges of the earth. This message was fulfilled when Christ came to earth; God was in Christ standing amongst mighty men and judged amongst judges of the people. God berated these judges of the people on why they’ve judged unjustly and told them what a righteous judgment is.

Although proponents of this belief do not see this message across the bible, it’s actually a message that spreads across various books of the scriptures. It’s a statement of the coming of Christ and the execution of the righteous judgment of God on earth. The message is also seen in the following books:
• Psalm 58
• Isaiah 3
• Jeremiah 23
All of these books are talking about God coming to judge the mighty men of the earth. These mighty men are judges of the earth who have perverted justice; judging by their own standards, and for this reason, God himself shall come and stand amongst them and execute righteous judgment.

Was Christ gods?
Christ explicitly stated what he was, he called himself the son of God. There’s nowhere at any point in the bible that Christ intentionally or mistakenly referred to himself as gods. In fact, the only reason Christ mentioned the word “gods” was to reference the scriptures in reply to his accusers:

34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 say ye of him, whom the father has sanctified, and sent into the world, thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:35-36)

In the verses above, we clearly see that Christ says the scripture calls them gods to whom the word of God came, but states that he is the son of God. Christ never called himself gods, but repeatedly called himself the son of God, drawing a distinction between those called gods and himself.

Who are gods?
Proponents of the belief claim Christ confirmed that we’re gods because he referenced Psalm 82 in his response to his accusers, however, this information is entirely assumed because Christ clarified that he is the son of God even while he called them gods. Christ never called himself gods; however intentional or mistakenly. In fact, apart from the referencing of Psalm 82 which only happened once, there’s no record in the whole of the New Testament where anyone called Christians gods. Christians are sons of God because they do the will of God by obeying his words, while gods are those who disobey the word of God, and rule by their own stands.

While those who peddle this belief claim that Christ confirmed that Christians are gods when he referenced Psalm 82, this claim is not according to the understanding of the scriptures. Christ explained that those who the scriptures called gods are those unto whom the word of God came, and the bible explicitly states that those unto whom the word of God came rejected him.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:11
A person born by the word of God is not as gods. Such a person is like Christ, the son of God. Every Christian is a son of God because they do the will of God but gods are those who disobey God. Sons of God make the judgment of God known, but gods bear rule by their own hands (Jeremiah 5:31).

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Thank you for reading…

God gave believer power over their minds. Read the article again pls. God bless you.

OkCornel:
Bro, I don't develop doctrines from thin air, when there are obvious pointers to the author's narrative. Sound doctrines should be grounded in proper context of the scriptures.

Like I mentioned earlier, when you answer the question, you will see things for yourself.

Why did Paul refer to the serpent with a male pronoun "his"?
If God has given true believers a sound mind, how is their mind the serpent? Is your mind the serpent, or is the serpent the devil?
The last time I checked the scriptures, the mind does not have a gender...