Why is Satan portrayed as a goat?

Question

If Satan is a fallen angel why is he portrayed as a goat how many angels are goat like. I know the real reason but am curious what people think

Answer 1

The goat was a Pagan symbol, and the Christians were very effective at demonizing rival faiths.

Answer 2

Because of the parables where Christ taught about separating the sheep from the goats. Matthew 5:32-33, where the sheep are considered to be good, and the goats are considered to be less-than-good.. which has been mispercieved by many as Him saying that compared to sheep, goats are evil, which, in conjunction with the belief that Satan is the king of all evil, would him a king among goats.

Answer 3

Satan in ancient Hebrew means adversary. sheep were a prized possession showing the worth someone had aquired. Goats were considered imperfect and flawed in comparison and were not worth as much as sheep. furthermore, unlike sheep, goats are very stubborn. They refuse to do much of anything they don't want to do. So, during this period the goat was considered rebellious in nature.

Please understand I am an Occultist. My view of the Holy Bible is far different from orthodox views. Furthermore, my opinions have a large variety of Occult sources as well. I guess I am trying to say this is not a common belief as to why Satan is shown as a goat but my personal belief.

Answer 4

There was an ancient tradition in Israel on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, wherein they would symbolically place the sins of Israel onto a goat, and then send the goat out to wander in the wilderness - they sent it out of the camp, symbolically cleansing Israel. This goat was called Azazel, which may be a demon of the wilderness. They would inscribe on the goat, "le'azazel" or "to Azazel" if I'm not mistaken, and send it out. I think that this figure was an early prototype of Satan. So goats and demons became associated.

Answer 5

I see Satan as the angel of light. The goat roams the high mountain tops {the solitary one}. Not like sheep who are led to the slaughter.

Answer 6

God placed the goats at his left and the sheep at his right. The right being reserved for the Good and the left for the bad the goats were placed on Gods left because Satan is on the left.

Answer 7

Pagans worshipped a Horned God which was demonised by the Church. Christianity is an imported religion to the UK (like many other places) it is not the original native belief of our ancestors.

Add into the mix mistranslation and misinterpretation over the years and everything got very confused indeed.

Answer 8

the situation approximately devil being modeled after Pan as some style of propaganda is nonsensical. in case you look at historic paintings of devil, maximum folk of curiously *no longer something* like Pan and not possibly goat-like the two. Hooves are incredibly uncommon. extra many times he has some style of talons. he's extra often than not blue quite than pink. He many times has bat wings. He especially cases has diverse faces. His horns is presented in a great form of types, and especially cases he would not have horns in any respect. The goat-confronted devil maximum many times shows up in paintings approximately witch gatherings, yet even then he would not look fairly like Pan, nonetheless many times having wings and not having hooves. basically because of the fact he sounds like a goat would not propose he has something to do with Pan.

Answer 9

Because Jeus portrayed Satan's followers as such when he returns to seperate the sheep from the goats.....read Mathew 25:31-41

Answer 10

Because a goat isn't God. Ergo, it is Satan.