2007-02-12 13:26:54 · 33 answers · asked by surfdawg32 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Great question!! I like to read the Bible, and I found the answer there. It is kind of long to explain, so please bear with me. Originally, God created angels that lived in heaven. After God created the earth, he put Adam and Eve here. God gave them one command - they could eat any fruit from any tree in the Garden of Eden with the exception of one tree. God told them that if they ate from that tree, they would die. God had the right to restrict them from that tree, because he had given the first humans everything they could possibly want and need, including their lives.
One of the angels (who was later given the name Satan) became jealous that these humans were obeying and worshipping God. He disguised himself as a snake, and basically told Eve that God was lying to them. He implied that God did not have the right to tell mankind what to do and that God was really with-holding good from man. This, of course was a lie. (See Genesis chapter 3, verses 1-5)
God knew that it was a lie. Satan was making this accusation in the hearing of all of the other angels, so just doing away with Satan was not a good solution. What would the other angels think? Would they think that Satan was right in saying that God was a bad ruler?
God, who is very patient, did something better. He let Satan live (for a while). The Bible says that Satan is now the ruler of the world (1 Corinthians 4:4 even calls Satan the god of this system of things - see also 1 John 5:19) God has given Satan plenty of time so that Satan can try to rule mankind apart from God. Of course, the reason everything is so bad today is because of this. But will Satan just keep on living forever?
No. Satan (because he was created as an angel) used to be able to go to heaven and come to earth at will. In the first step towards Satan's ultimate demise, Revelation 12:7-9 describes a war between Jesus (also known as Michael) and Satan. That war was in heaven, but when Satan lost, he was confined to the vicinity of the earth. Rev 12:12 says that that would mean woe for the earth. That is why things are so bad on the earth today...war, famine, pestilence...Satan is confined to the earth. But that is not the end of it. That verse also mentions how Satan knows he has a short period of time. Revelation chapter 20 describes how Satan will soon be abyssed, or restrained for 1000 years and then finally he will be destroyed (see verse 10)
So, in short, God let Satan live so that everyone else would see that Satan was lying and that God is the best and rightful ruler of the world, but soon Satan will be gone forever. After that, the Bible says that the earth will become a paradise with no more war or sickness or death (Revelation 21:3,4 and Isaiah 2:4).
I hope you can look this up in your Bible...it is really interesting!
2007-02-12 14:28:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not even the Book of Revelation have said that Satan will be killed. The Book says Satan was only silenced and tied down for a thousand years.
Would you not find life to be boring if everything is right? Can you imagine a road that is a one straight line and going to one direction only? Satan is there as God's measure on how far a man can go to remain sincerely loyal to Him.
Everything has its opposite. Just life cannot be known if there is no death, as day and night are there to take care of our working hours and our sleeping time too so good will always be made known only when there is evil existing. Good and Evil are there like roads of life we have to choose thoruhg our own Free Will.
2007-02-12 13:47:34 · answer #2 · answered by Rallie Florencio C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you actually are sort of on track but reaching wrong conclusions, a drama is being played out, an all powerful God is redeeming man through a natural process of preaching. no magic shows or anything like that. although satan is defeated in power, he is still active. do not mistaken a fatally damaged animal to be harmless, not so. i'm not sure who bill maher is, will try to look him up later. but understand something, and this is important. just because someone has an extensive knowledge of the bible, it does not make them an expert or a scholar who can speak with authority on an issue of biblical doctrine. the bible is written on an appeal to authority, and a non-believer does not accept that appeal and therefore does not speak for the bible. this might sound like a minor point, but consider for a moment how critical it is to speak from the authority of the bible, if there is a real God who actually had it written according to his thoughts.
2016-05-24 03:33:14 · answer #3 · answered by Patricia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God has His own reasons for not destroying him. We can only speculate. Man has always been offered a free choice - - -Good or Evil . . . and the time of final Judgment has not yet come. He will get rid Satan then.
2007-02-12 13:42:45 · answer #4 · answered by TPhi 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He is all mighty and therefore why would he create a being like Satan? There is no satan he does not exist and was created by men to keep people in line! Sort of the parents version of the story they tell their kids of a so called "bogey man". There is no satan.
2007-02-12 13:36:53 · answer #5 · answered by J. A. M. 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes God is almighty and powerful but also God is merciful and loveful.According to islamic teaching Allah the only one God has created humans from the soil,angels from the light and satans from the fire.God created humans,angels and satans for different functions.God created humans for making a prosperous society by work in togetherness among the races and religions followers.Humans swhould abdicate their life for God and ask for help to God.God created angels for assisting God in relation with humans and especially with prophets and for guarding heaven and hell.Angels are needed in heaven also as servants for its inhabitants.God created satans for testing humans who are having strong belif and who are having the weak belief.Satans vowed to Allah the only one God that along their lives they will tem
pted humans and they will bring humans to the wrong path.Humans who can be influenced by satans,they will be cruel and do wrong doings such as killing,conceiting,cheating,liar,offen
ding/accusing others without strong reason,gambling,alcoholic drinking,eating narcotics,humiliating others,attacking others without strong reason,suicide,stealing,corrupting etc.
The strong belief humans can not be tempted by satans so they will not abide satans and they do good doings.Satans will help God for selecting all humans who are the good humans who will go to heaven and who are the bad humans who will go to hell.So Allah does not want to get rid of satans,because they help Allah for choosing the bad quality humans and the good quality humans.
2007-02-12 14:17:53 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you are misunderstanding the nature of these beings.
Satan is not pure evil. Was not Lucifer once an Angel in the service of God? Although he turned his back on God, he is still capable of doing good; just not likely to do so.
Secondly, it is outside the nature of God to destroy his creations prematurely. God gave us and the Angels both the choice to do good or evil, and he has commited himself to preserve the evil until the End Times.
2007-02-12 13:45:46 · answer #7 · answered by goatman 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Serious issues were raised by Satan
1)the righteousness and rightfulness of Jehovah's sovereignty.
2)the integrity of intelligent creatures toward Jehovah.
these issues would never again disrupt the peace and well being of the universe Jehovah has allowed ample time for them to be settled beyond all doubt. God has permitted both Satan and humans to try every form of government of their own making. None have brought lasting happiness. God has let mankind go to the limit in pursing ways of life that ignore his righteous standards. The fruitage speaks for itself. As the Bible truthfully says "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step" (Jer.10:23) At the same time God has given his servants opportunity to prove their loyalty to him by their acts of loving obedience and this in the face of enticements and persecution instigated by Satan. Jehovah exhorts his servants saying "be wise my son,and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me"(Prov.27:11) Those proving faithful reap great benefits now and have the prospect of eternal life in perfection. They will use such life in doing the will of Jehovah whose personality and ways they truly love.
2007-02-12 13:52:59 · answer #8 · answered by mrs.mom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God will, at the end of the world with all satan's followers.
2007-02-12 13:37:57 · answer #9 · answered by A follower of Christ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He did. Satan was one of His angels who decided he was equal to God. God did not kill him but caste him out of His presence. Satan know has the opportunity to entreat us into evil, or accept and follow God
2007-02-12 13:36:48 · answer #10 · answered by lakelover 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋