David Jones
THEO_201_B09_201230
Short Essay #4
Short Essay on Angelology and Satanology
Anna, thank you for your call regarding the documentary you watched on common dualism. By your description this is also known as religious or ethical dualism. Kuhn in defining ethical or religious dualism says “ Ethical or ethico-religious dualism asserts that there are two mutually hostile forces or beings in the world, the one being the source of all good, the other the source of all evil.”1 Kuhn further describes the universe as the battle ground for these equally opposing forces and identifies them as light and darkness. In this definition we see God being light and Satan being darkness as equal forces in eternal hostile battle. This form of dualism is in contradiction as to what Scripture teaches. Scripture starts with God creating not only the earth but the heavens as well. (Gen.1:1) In the book of Genesis we see God as the creator of all. In the ending of Scripture God claims victory over Satan and Satan is cast into the lake fire to suffer eternal torment.(Rev. 20:10). In Isaiah 14:12-14, the prophet addresses Satan as the one fallen from heaven and cast down to earth for his prideful sins against God. In Ezekiel 28: 12-17 God addresses Satan as the King of Tyre, through the prophet Ezekiel. He addresses him as having been an anointed guardian cherub. God says “for so I ordained you.” (vs 14). “You were the model of perfection,”(vs
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1H.B. Kuhn, “Dualism.” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: 2nd Edition, ed. Walter Elwell, [Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Publishing Group, 2001] 357
12).Verse 13 starts by saying “you were in Eden the garden of God”, followed by a description of the adornment he had worn and ending with “on the day you were created they were prepared.” In verse 16 we read “So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub.” “So I threw I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.”(vs 17).
Clearly we see here that not only was Satan created by God, but was created as an Angel of great position modeled in perfection. Therefore, Satan’s origin as a creation of God would deem him less than equal to God. Towns states “Satan’s most cunning plans will always for short of their ultimate objective, for the creature is never able to excel beyond the creator.”2 We also see that Satan was self corrupted through egotistic pride and therefore cast down to earth from the heavens, by God. Here we see the imperfection in Satan falling short of the angelic model of perfection God created him to be. Towns also tells us, that although great in power and wisdom, Satan is not omnipotent, omniscient, nor is he omnipresent.3 This with scriptural teachings of God’s final victory tells us that what religious- ethical dualism deems as an eternal struggle for eternity, between God and Satan, cannot be possible. There are of course those who object to the above interpretations of the afore quoted scriptures in Isaiah and Ezekiel, claiming they were not addressed to Satan but to the human rulers of Babylon and Tyre. However, in Isaiah chapter 14:12-14 the prophet is speaking to one
______________________________________________________________________________ 2Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, [ Mason, OH, Cengage Learning, 2008] 359
3Ibid, 359 he addresses as “O morning star, son of the dawn! You who have been cast down to earth.”(vs 12) In studying Scripture we find those that are referred to as stars are the angels. Also Scripture teaches those who were cast down to earth are the fallen angels. “I will raise my throne above the stars of god;”(vs 13) and “I will make myself like the Most High.”(vs 14) were both claims of Satan that cast him down to earth and eventually “to the depths of the pit.”(vs 15). Ezekiel 28:12-17 again is addressed to a fallen angel, a once guardian cherub, who had been anointed and ordained by God Himself.(vs 14). The one being addressed is one who had been in Eden (vs 13), one who had been on the Holy Mount of God (vs 14), one who had been created blameless (vs 15), and one who had been guardian cherub that had willingly sinned and was expelled in disgrace, from the mount, by God. The description in these verses are of no mortal man, but of Satan himself. There are those that believe God created evil, because he created Satan and Satan is evil, but God is good by nature and unable to create anything that is not good. Scripture teaches that God created Satan good and Satan became evil of his own volition. “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31). If we believe that Ezekiel 28:12-17 is addressing Satan we see Satan: as the model of perfection (vs 12), made blameless at creation (vs 15), and later corrupted by pride in his own splendor (vs 17). In scripture the life of Job is a good example of Satan’s limitations and subservience to God. Before Satan is able to do anything to Job, a man of faith, he must first get permission from God and is then still limited to what God will allow him to do. As Towns tells us “Satan is simply a pawn in Gods overall plan.”4 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4Elmer L. Towns, Theology for Today, [Mason, OH, Cengage Learning, 2008] 398
When yields to temptation and commits a sin it is not the fault of the tempter but the weakness of the temped that is to blame. God created all men and women with free will. The freedom of choice, by which we must decide to live in the will of God or the will of the world.
Word count 910
Bibliography
Kuhn H.B. “Dualism.” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: 2nd Edition, ed. Walter Elwell, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2001
