Christians: War in heaven? Rebel angels? Serpent as Satan? What?

Question

I've noticed that a lot of Christians are talking about Satan being a rebel angel, about a war in heaven, about the snake in the garden of eden being satan in disguise, etc.

How many of you realise that this is not based on the Bible at all? All this is derived from Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost? Milton completely invented the idea of a third of the angels rebelling and being sent to Hell. Milton decided to present the serpent as Satan; if you actually look in the Bible, it's clear that the serpent is just a serpent.

When Paradise Lost was published, a large section of the clergy complained that Milton's work was almost entirely derived from his own imagination, and not the Bible.

However, these concepts seem to have crept into Christian dogma. It's as if people started adding elements from Lord of the Rings to their beliefs. How many Christians who believe in these things realise that a large section of their mythology is derived from a work of fiction, not scripture?

Answer 1

A) Genesis 3: 1 - 5 describes the actions of the "serpent". He talks. He walks (his punishment is to crawl on his belly). He reasons. These are not the actions of your standard issue reptile.
B) When this book was told and then written the Hebrews had the human commonality of fear and dislike of poisonous snakes. They can and DO kill. Not a warm, fuzzy type at all. Therefore it was natural to use that image as analogy for the tempter, who is the devil.
C) The tradition of a war in heaven predates John Milton by quite a few centuries. You need to look at church history.
D) It is human tradition to take part A from this pile and part B from that pile and see if they work together to fill in a blank spot in knowledge. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But even when it doesn't, you've still learned something new. If this were not so, we'd still be sitting on our haunches in front of the cave hoping lightning would strike a nearby tree so we could cook the meat for a change.
E) The clergy who objected were the equivalent of fundamentalists. Fundamentalists don't deal with learning, knowledge or even intelligence. It's antithetical to their beliefs. They tend to be happiest when they can be marionettes, dancing to Someone else's string-pulling. They HOPE that that Someone is God.
F) Have a nice day.

Answer 2

I am studied in the original manuscripts of the Bible for 35 years of my life, and you present to me that a book written in the 1600's makes void the Scriptures? Do you actually think that paradise lost came first?
Can I sell you a large bridge for cheap?

Answer 3

Did you ever think that Milton got his idea from the Bible instead of the other way around? Remember the bible has been written for thousands of years. Paradise lost is not that old.

Also even most of mythology has it's beginnings in actuality.

Answer 4

read the Books of Enoch (The Book of Enoch and The Secrets of Enoch) and then find where Milton got his material for his literature.

go to this website for Paradise Lost and see what Bible references were used in Milton's writtings.

http://www.paradiselost.org/novel.html

blessings of the day to you.

Answer 5

Actually the bible does speak of a war in heaven. And the bible does talk about God sending the messiah to crush the head of the serpent the devil even though the serpent would bite his heel. So I dont know where your comming from...

Answer 6

Add to that: The laws of Moses, they're taken from Hammurabi laws.

Answer 7

bout time someone came up with something good against Christians :) Thumbs up man :)

Answer 8

can you prove that Milton came before Christ?!