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Many claim that chapter 14 in the book of Isaiah and chapter 28 in the book of Ezekiel
are about Satan the Devil. And yet, those chapters themselves state in plain and
clear words that they are about the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre. This essay
takes a closer look at the question, do Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 talk about Satan?
A number of related matters will also be considered, such as certain translation-related
matters in those passages, and the word "cherub" and other things that are mentioned
Ezekiel 28. Isaiah 14 will be considered after that.
Many claim that that chapter talks about Satan the Devil. Some further claim it supposedly shows that Satan had been a "beautiful arch-angel" who "overshadowed the throne of God". But, that chapter actually tells a different story.
Let us begin by checking at who was being addressed:
Ezekiel 28:1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the Lord has said: Because your heart has been lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I am seated on the seat of God in the heart of the seas; but you are man and not God, though you have made your heart as the heart of God (BBE, highlighting added)
Verse 2 shows that chapter 28 referred to a man, the king of Tyre, who had become extremely proud. That verse especially states that he was a man and not a god, even though that man himself may have felt differently. In short: He was a man of flesh, adam in the Hebrew text of verse 2.
Some identify him as king Ethbaal II of Tyre, but that timing does not seem to match. Perhaps he was a later ruler of Tyre. (Tyre was an ancient Phoenician, trading city in what today is Lebanon.)
It is worth noting that while 1 Kings 6:24 and 2 Chronicles 3:12 describe the keruwbim as flying creatures, five metres long and five metres between wing tips (most likely regarding partially folded wings), in Ezekiel 28 it is stated that the ruler of Tyre was a mortal man (Hebrew adam). Point: It is clear that the keruwbim in the deriding song of Ezekiel 28:12-19, and the ruler of Tyre whom that mocking song was directed at, were two separate things. Check Ezekiel 28 in such translations as BBE, RSV or LXXE. Further: The word "Satan" is not even found in the book of Ezekiel.
You can read Ezekiel 26:1-21 in your own Bible. It contains the prophecy regarding the fall of Tyre.
Chapter 27 has this:
Ezekiel 27:1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 And you, son of man, make a song of grief for Tyre; 3 And say to Tyre, O you who are seated at the doorway of the sea, trading for the peoples with the great sea-lands, these are the words of the Lord: You, O Tyre, have said, I am a ship completely beautiful. 4 Your builders have made your outlines in the heart of the seas, they have made you completely beautiful. (BBE)
And so on. It was a "song of grief", and it is easy to understand that it was a mocking song. Songs, especially mocking ones, use poetic language which often can be hyperbolic, exaggerating, instead of being fully literal in its meaning.
Obviously, that trading city was not "completely beautiful" (Ezekiel 27:3), but perhaps those who built it or lived there, felt that way. The same pride was found with the ruler of that city, as was quoted above (Ezekiel 28:1-2). He was a man of flesh, but perhaps he felt that he was "a god". That king was not really wise, either, even though the Lord mockingly said that (see Ezekiel 28:3), but perhaps he felt that he was the wisest man of all. Had he truly been wise, then he would have been humble before the Lord, instead of being proud and doing wrong and causing the destruction of himself and of that city.
Ezekiel 28:6 For this cause the Lord has said: Because you have made your heart as the heart of God, 7 See, I am sending against you strange men, feared among the nations: they will let loose their swords against your bright wisdom, they will make your glory a common thing. 8 They will send you down to the underworld, and your death will be the death of those who are put to the sword in the heart of the seas. 9 Will you say, in the face of those who are taking your life, I am God? but you are man and not God in the hands of those who are wounding you. 10 Your death will be the death of those who are without circumcision, by the hands of men from strange lands: for I have said it, says the Lord. (BBE)
That was the end of that proud man.
Here are some mocking words regarding the ruler of that trading city:
Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, make a song of grief for the king of Tyre, and say to him, This is what the Lord has said: You are all-wise and completely beautiful; 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every stone of great price was your clothing, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the emerald and the carbuncle: your store-houses were full of gold, and things of great price were in you; in the day when you were made they were got ready. 14 I gave you your place with the winged one; I put you on the mountain of God; you went up and down among the stones of fire. 15 There has been no evil in your ways from the day when you were made, till sin was seen in you. 16 Through all your trading you have become full of violent ways, and have done evil: so I sent you out shamed from the mountain of God; the winged one put an end to you from among the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was lifted up because you were beautiful, you made your wisdom evil through your sin: I have sent you down, even to the earth; I have made you low before kings, so that they may see you. 18 By all your sin, even by your evil trading, you have made your holy places unclean; so I will make a fire come out from you, it will make a meal of you, and I will make you as dust on the earth before the eyes of all who see you. 19 All who have knowledge of you among the peoples will be overcome with wonder at you: you have become a thing of fear, and you will never be seen again. (BBE)
It is useful to analyse that passage, part for part. Again, it is important to remember that that was a mocking song that used hyperbolic language. It is equally important to note who was being addressed: "Son of man, make a song of grief for the king of Tyre, and say to him..."
Some preachers who want to paint Satan as "all-wise and completely beautiful", claim that Ezekiel 28 is about Satan. But no, as verse 2 makes clear, that chapter is about the man who was the ruler of the trading city Tyre. Some might say that that man might have served as a "type" of how Satan and his ways are – but, the Bible does not say anything of that kind. The facts remain that that chapter, just as it clearly states, addressed a man of flesh, the king of Tyre. Satan is not mentioned.
Then, there are other verses which deserve closer consideration.
A note: It is important to understand that the ancient Hebrew cannot be readily understood by anyone today. Because of that, translations of a given Old Testament passage, often differ dramatically. Different translators come to very different conclusions regarding what the ancient Hebrew words are supposed to mean.
Verse 13:
Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every stone of great price was your clothing, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the emerald and the carbuncle: your store-houses were full of gold, and things of great price were in you; in the day when you were made they were got ready. (BBE)
Regarding that phrase "garden of God" or "garden of the mighty ones" – was that man, the ruler of the trading city of Tyre, in Paradise, the true garden of Eden? In the earthly one, or perhaps in the heavenly one? Obviously, the answer is no, to both questions. As the context shows, these words were a part of a mocking song. In such things, "poetic freedom" and hyperbole are used, also in the Bible. (In a similar way, that same phrase "garden of God" or "garden of the mighty ones", appears even in Ezekiel 31:8-9 in connection with "the Assyrian" who was poetically described as "a cedar tree".)
But, the king of Tyre obviously felt that he was a "god", and that his surroundings were fitting to the "god-likeness" which he seems to have felt that he had. Many kings and rulers have suffered from such madness. We cannot know what his palace-gardens looked like, but perhaps they were really beautiful. Perhaps he felt that they were a "paradise" (this is regarding the use of the word Eden in Ezekiel 28:13). But, it is worth noting that the word eden also referred to "luxury"; see for instance 2 Samuel 1:24. What we see, is of course that that king, just as many other mighty ones, lived in incredible luxury, with lots of jewellery and expensive clothing.
The problem is that virtually all bible-translators seem to have thought that that passage referred to Satan and to the literal garden of Eden. But no, whatever the eden of Ezekiel 28:13 really was, it was that king's own, private thing, and not the earthly or heavenly garden of Eden. Either it was luxury (eden), or then some fancy garden.
A note: The Online Bible's Hebrew-English lexicon has this on the noun eden, word number 05730:
1) luxury, dainty, delight, finery
2) delight
The words with numbers 05729 and 05731 (which have the same Hebrew consonants as 05730) are defined as "pleasure".
Ezekiel 28:13 [...] every stone of great price was your clothing, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the emerald and the carbuncle: your store-houses were full of gold, and things of great price were in you; in the day when you were made they were got ready. (BBE)
Clearly, that king was enormously rich, most probably through the trade which the city of Tyre was involved in throughout the Mediterranean area. It seems that he at some time was decorated with a lot of precious stones.
But then, what about these words "in the day when you were made" in Ezekiel 28:13 (quote above)? We can only guess, but perhaps that the words "were made" referred to his coronation day, the day he was made king. In the past, when men were made kings (coronated), they wore ornate clothing and were decorated with lots of jewels and gold.
The 1769 KJ version has in verse 13 the wording "the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes". ("Tabret" is a kind of a small drum; "pipe" is a flute or similar.) But, for instance the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation interpreted the Hebrew text of that verse to refer to "settings" and "sockets" (for gems):
Ezekiel 28:13 [...] every precious stone was thy covering, the carnelian, the topaz, and the emerald, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the carbuncle, and the smaragd, and gold; the workmanship of thy settings and of thy sockets was in thee, in the day that thou wast created they were prepared. (JPS-1917)
Note the words "the workmanship of thy settings and of thy sockets". Also the NASB has "settings and sockets". The RSV has, "settings" and "engravings"; several other translations have similar wordings. And, that is what they apparently were: Not music instruments, but sockets for gems. This is what the Online Bible's Hebrew-English lexicon has on the Hebrew word neqeb (which the KJ version rendered as "pipes" in this verse):
A bezel (for a gem)
1) groove, socket, hole, cavity, settings
1a) technical term relating to jeweller's work
Strong's lexicon says the same:
A bezel (for a gem)
Both lexicons add a note that the makers of the KJ version rendered neqeb as "pipe". (For more on the King James translation and the men who were involved in producing it, see the essay es03c.htm.)
But, some might ask, "What about the word toph in that verse – does it not mean 'a drum'?" Well, toph certainly could refer to a small drum, but then, there is the question, was it really toph that Ezekiel wrote? The point here is that ancient Hebrew was written with consonants only; the added phonetic signs to mark vowels were produced much later, around 1000 CE, and those who did that did not always get it right. In the present-day Hebrew text, the word in question is written with the consonants thav-pe-yod-kaph, but it is not clear what the phonetic signs for vowels should have been. Many translators, including those who produced the above-quoted 1917 Jewish Publication Society version, have felt that the word (consonants) in question must refer to "settings" or similar.
All in all, it is quite obvious that that part of verse 13 in Ezekiel 28 must have referred to some flashy gems, decorations or other expensive things that were used or displayed when that man was "made" (crowned as) the king of the trading city of Tyre.
A note: The LXX (the Greek Septuagint version) has a somewhat different wording. Here is Brenton's translation of the last part of verse 13 in the LXX:
Ezekiel 28:13 [...] thou hast bound upon thee every precious stone, the sardius, and topaz, and emerald, and carbuncle, and sapphire, and jasper, and silver, and gold, and ligure, and agate, and amethyst, and chrysolite, and beryl, and onyx: and thou hast filled thy treasures and thy stores in thee with gold. (LXXE)
There are many kinds of suggestions as to what those "stones of fire" were. Some have claimed that those words supposedly refer to Heaven (the sea of glass, which eventually could look like sapphire). But, Ezekiel 28:16 talks about a man of flesh, the king of Tyre. He had not been in Heaven. There is a much simpler way to understand that phrase "stones of fire".
It seems that during his coronation, that man was adorned with precious gems which glittered and flashed like fire. The following gems (precious stones) are specially mentioned: "Sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the emerald and the carbuncle" (Ezekiel 28:13). Above, it was shown that those flashing stones were connected to jeweller's sockets (neqeb). Clearly, those "stones of fire" were flashy gem-stones of some kind.
So, it could be that on his coronation way, that man literally walked "in the midst of stones of fire". That is, he was covered by them, perhaps around his entire body. (Of course, it could also be that the floor or the walls of his "throne hall" were decorated with flashing gems. We do not know how that really was.)
It seems that many, translators and preachers alike, have wanted to use Ezekiel chapter 28 in an effort to build up Satan as some "beautiful and glorious being", claiming that that referred to some "pipes and flutes" by which Satan supposedly "produced beautiful music". It is sad that so many, and so desperately, try to put things into the Bible that are not there, in order to make Satan look like some "noble character".
Then, that "winged one", or "cherub" as some have it without translating the Hebrew word keruwb. What was that all about? We do not know, but the chances are that that man had decorated the walls of his throne hall with the same kind of pictures as had covered the walls of the temple which had been built in Jerusalem. In the temple in Jerusalem, pictures of winged creatures called keruwbim, were used as decorations.
Again, interpretations and translations of the ancient Hebrew text differ greatly. It is very hard, virtually impossible, to say what that ancient text really means. Here is one of the translations:
Ezekiel 28:14 I gave you your place with the winged one; I put you on the mountain of God; you went up and down among the stones of fire. 15 There has been no evil in your ways from the day when you were made, till sin was seen in you. 16 Through all your trading you have become full of violent ways, and have done evil: so I sent you out shamed from the mountain of God; the winged one put an end to you from among the stones of fire. (BBE, highlighting added)
Some translations make it seem that this mortal man supposedly was "an anointed cherub". But when one looks at the matter more closely, things look different. There is more on the keruwbim, later in this essay. Also, the essay ed01c.htm considers what the keruwbim really were.
Brenton's LXXE has this:
Ezekiel 28:14 From the day that thou wast created thou wast with the cherub: I set thee on the holy mount of God; thou wast in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast faultless in thy days, from the day that thou wast created, until iniquity was found in thee. 16 Of the abundance of thy merchandise thou hast filled thy storehouses with iniquity, and hast sinned: therefore thou hast been cast down wounded from the mount of God, and the cherub has brought thee out of the midst of the stones of fire. (LXXE, highlighting added)
Please note that the Greek LXX Old Testament often is closer to how the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, than what the so-called "Masoretic text" is. Many people think that the "Masoretic" text is "original", but that is not so. For instance the "Ben Asher" text which is commonly used today, is an edition from around the 10th century ("AD" or "CE").
The RSV translates that passage in this way:
Ezekiel 28:14 With an anointed guardian cherub I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and the guardian cherub drove you out from the midst of the stones of fire. (RSV, highlighting added)
Now, that passage is not a listing of literal facts. It is a part of the text of a mocking song which used hyperbolic language. Thus, that talk about that "winged one" (or keruwb) does not have to mean that there literally had been such a creature with that man.
Regarding what those keruwbim really were; that is too much to be included here. In short, it can be said that Solomon did not decorate the temple walls with pictures of angels. Nor were the keruwbim which shadowed the "mercy seat", angels.
When one realises that those keruwbim were not angels but something else, then things become easier to understand, also in Ezekiel 28. The word keruwb is of uncertain origin. Perhaps it meant "winged one" as some translate it; we cannot be sure. (Read verses 14-16 in the BBE, LXXE and RSV, as quoted above.)
There are several ways to interpret the word of the ancient Hebrew text, especially in the light of the deceiving Babylonian religion which actually may have been a part of the story here. Kings in that part of the world, and also elsewhere, have often used ancient symbols which are derived from Nimrod's day and age.
Legends and mythology show that sometimes, Nimrod was described as a "winged one". That was symbolic talk. Wings were often attributed to kings and rulers. Perhaps the concept was that kings "covered" (forced) people under their power. An example of that kind of word usage is found in the Bible also, in the book of Isaiah, regarding the king of Assyria:
Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up on them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: 8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. (AKJV)
The essay ed01c.htm has more on the keruwbim.
It is important to understand that in Ezekiel 28:14, the word nathan which the RSV translates as "I placed you", was a very generic verb which really meant "to give". It could also mean "to suffer" (that is, "to tolerate"). For instance the 1769 KJ version renders that word in that way, several times.
Point: It could be that the Lord was saying to that haughty ruler, "And I suffered you" ("And I tolerated you"). Not "placed", but "tolerated". That is, for a time, the Lord allowed that extremely proud king to go on with his ways but, there was a limit to that. In fact, that is what Ezekiel 28 is all about.
(The essay ew02c.htm has more on the rulers of this world, whom they really serve and who really appointed them.)
Ezekiel 28:15 There has been no evil in your ways from the day when you were made, till sin was seen in you. (BBE)
Some have claimed that those words supposedly refer to Satan. But that is reading things into the Bible; that verse says no such thing. Again, this was a part of a mocking song which used poetic and hyperbolic language. It was about the man of flesh who was the king of Tyre which was a trading city on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
So, what could those words then mean? Probably, that when that man had been made king, he had not been quite as proud, but that later, riches and power corrupted his mind and made him extremely proud and violent.
The following verse:
Ezekiel 28:16 Through all your trading you have become full of violent ways, and have done evil: so I sent you out shamed from the mountain of God; the winged one put an end to you from among the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was lifted up because you were beautiful, you made your wisdom evil through your sin: I have sent you down, even to the earth; I have made you low before kings, so that they may see you. (BBE)
"Winged one" (verse 16): As was mentioned above, that possibly was a mocking reference to something that we do not know in detail. Perhaps that man had decorated his palace with the same kind of pictures as the temple in Jerusalem had had. Or perhaps he used wing-symbols of the Nimrodian kind, just as many rulers and governments do even today. The expression, "the winged one drove you out" (if that is the correct translation), could have been a mocking reference to either of those things. Again, we do not know the details. What we do know is that that passage was about a man of flesh, the king of Tyre, and, that his extreme pride caused his fall.
Verse 17:
Ezekiel 28:17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. (AKJV)
This just says that that king would be destroyed. Dethroned. The phrase "cast to the ground" also could have referred to that he would die and be buried, or then, that was just a way of saying that that extremely proud king was about to be taken down from his "heights".
The next verse:
Ezekiel 28:18 By all your sin, even by your evil trading, you have made your holy places unclean; so I will make a fire come out from you, it will make a meal of you, and I will make you as dust on the earth before the eyes of all who see you. (BBE)
That trader king, extremely rich and proud, had gone too far in his heaping of riches for himself, and in his pride.
A note: What those "holy places" were, is not clear, but that man was the ruler of a trading city, a man who loved riches, so maybe it was his treasure chamber that was his "holy place". The Hebrew word in question, miqdash, had in this case no connection with any "sanctuary of God". There was only one such, in Jerusalem, and that man had nothing to do with it.
Other parts of the book of Ezekiel (chapters 26 and 29), show that it was Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who put an end to Tyre and its proud king.
As was mentioned earlier, there are many ways to interpret Ezekiel 28. One of them includes the old Nimrod-cult where Nimrod is described as a "winged one" and also as a "fire-god" (sun-god).
That is obviously what Isaiah 14 refers to also. Some want to use even that passage for painting Satan (the ruler of darkness) in glowing colours, as some kind of a "light-bringer". However, the facts are that the prophecy in that chapter pointed to another proud man, Belshazzar the last king of Babylon. Even Babylon came to its end, because of its ruler's pride.
Isaiah 14:4 That you will take up this bitter song against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the cruel overseer come to an end! He who was lifted up in pride is cut off; 5 The stick of the evil-doers, the rod of the rulers, is broken by the Lord; 6 He whose rod was on the peoples with an unending wrath, ruling the nations in passion, with an uncontrolled rule. 7 All the earth is at rest and is quiet: they are bursting into song. 8 Even the trees of the wood are glad over you, the trees of Lebanon, saying, From the time of your fall no wood-cutter has come up against us with an axe. 9 The underworld is moved at your coming: the shades of the dead are awake before you, even the strong ones of the earth; all the kings of the world have got up from their seats. 10 They all make answer and say to you, Have you become feeble like us? have you been made even as we are? 11 Your pride has gone down into the underworld, and the noise of your instruments of music; the worms are under you, and your body is covered with them. 12 How great is your fall from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth, low among the dead bodies! (BBE)
Those who read that passage with care, can see that it is about a king of Babylon and about things here on Earth. The words "shining one, son of the morning" are not explained in the context, but a number of things indicate that they referred to (Nimrodian) titles and symbols that were used by kings of Babylon.
A note: The Hebrew words in verse 12 were helel ben shachar. Some translate that as "shining son of the morning", but some interpret it as "howl, son of the morning". ("Morning", or "dawn".)
That prophecy in Isaiah 14 pointed to the future time when Belshazzar became the last king of Babylon. He was a successor of Nimrod who, according to legends, was considered to be a "sun god" – a "son of the morning" or a "son of the dawn". Compare that with Isaiah 14:12, quoted above. It seems that also Belshazzar, in his evil pride and defiance of the true God, used some symbols of his predecessor Nimrod.
The makers of the KJ version (1611), and many others who have copied the Latin Vulgate translation, have put the word Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12. Some have claimed that that supposedly was a name of Satan, but lucifer is a Latin word. The Bible was not written in Latin.
A note: The adjective lucifer meant "shining", literally "light-bringing", from lux and fero. In the Vulgate, that word appears even in Job 11:17 and 2 Peter 1:19 and also, in the form luciferum, in Job 38:32 and in Psalms 110:3 (109:3 in the Vulgate's numbering).
It could even be that the Vulgate's interpretation which uses the word lucifer ("shining") is a mistranslation – as was mentioned above, some interpret the Hebrew helel ben shachar as "howl, son of the morning", instead of "shining son of the morning".
But, even if the Latin adjective luficer ("shining") eventually was a correct translation of the Hebrew noun in question, the fact remains that Isaiah 14 was a prophecy regarding the fate of the king of Babylon (the last of them, Belshazzar). Satan is not mentioned; the king of Babylon is. All words in Isaiah 14:12 refer to the king of Babylon, and not someone else.
(Again, some have interpreted the Hebrew words as "howl, son of the morning".)
Belshazzar was a "successor" of Nimrod who was the first king of Babel (Babylon). According to legends, Nimrod was referred to as a "sun-god". Thus, the mocking words "son of the morning" (or "son of the dawn") in verse 12 may also have referred to some titles the kings of Babylon traditionally used, "sun-gods" as they supposedly were. Isaiah 14:12 points Belshazzar who came to be the last king of Babylon. Here is the prophecy regarding his fate, once again:
Isaiah 14:12 How great is your fall from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the earth, low among the dead bodies! (BBE)
As "successors" of Nimrod, the Babylonian kings were considered to be "sun-gods", just as Nimrod was. That is what the mocking words helel ben shachar refer to, in this verse. Even the name Bel-shazzar referred to the sun-god (Bel is the same as Baal, and Baal in his turn was a sun-god). There is more on the names Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar, in a footnote towards the end of this essay.
The biblical record shows how the proud Babylonian king Belshazzar knowingly took the very bowls and other things that belonged to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and then used them in his feast in an extremely proud way. Here is what Daniel told Belshazzar about the pride of both Nebuchadnezzar and his grandson Belshazzar:
Daniel 5:18 As for you, O King, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the kingdom and great power and glory and honour: 19 And because of the great power he gave him, all peoples and nations and languages were shaking in fear before him: some he put to death and others he kept living, at his pleasure, lifting up some and putting others down as it pleased him. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hard with pride, he was put down from his place as king, and they took his glory from him: 21 And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure. 22 And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this; 23 But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory; 24 Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded. 25 And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres. 26 This is the sense of the words: Mene; your kingdom has been numbered by God and ended. 27 Tekel; you have been put in the scales and seen to be under weight. 28 Peres; your kingdom has been cut up and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then, by the order of Belshazzar, they put a purple robe on Daniel, and a gold chain round his neck, and a public statement was made that he was to be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldaeans, was put to death. (BBE, highlighting added)
Simply: It was regarding Belshazzar the king of Babylon that the mocking words in Isaiah 14 were recorded in advance.
The mocking words (helel) ben shachar, "sown of the dawn", must have referred to the manner of kings ever since Nimrod, to refer to themselves as "the sun", or, "the enlightener", and so on. Many kings have used the sun as their symbol, even in recent centuries, and some still do.
Some might say, "Yes, but still it all pointed to Satan, in a symbolic way." But, the Bible does not say that. The facts are that Isaiah 14 does not in any way mention Satan; it talks about a king of Babylon. The thing is that Belshazzar the last king of Babylon was a successor of Nimrod who founded Babylon. Mythology shows that Nimrod came to be "deified", among other things, as a "fire-god", "sun-god". Clearly, that must be what the Hebrew words (helel) ben shachar in Isaiah 14 referred to. Belshazzar, a "successor" of Nimrod, was probably using some titles or symbols of that kind.
Does such a Nimrodian title of kings mean that all those kings who have used the sun as their symbol, literally were "sons of morning", "light-bringers", "enlighteners"? Of course not. They may have pretended or claimed that they were "light-bringers", but in reality they spread darkness: Deception, enslavement, darkness and death. That is how it is with Satan also.
Regarding what kind of a person Satan was, from the beginning:
John 8:44 Ye are of the devil, as your father, and ye desire to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks falsehood, he speaks of what is his own; for he is a liar and its father (DBY, highlighting added)
"From the beginning", says that passage which cites Jesus. Satan was not a "bringer of light" at some earlier time, even though some have claimed that in their strange effort to paint a more "positive" picture of Satan.
The Bible does not call Satan "Lucifer" or "shining one". Satan may have made others think that he was a "bringer of light" or a "messenger of light", but he is not that, nor does the Bible say that he ever was. Instead, he is a ruler of darkness, which among other things refers to deception, enslavement and death. And, as Jesus said, Satan was that way from the beginning, a liar and a murderer (John 8:44). And, Isaiah 14 is a prophecy that pointed to Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon.
Regarding the "Babylon" of the book of Revelation, what and where it really is; the essay ew03b.htm has more on that subject.
A footnote regarding the names Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.
Nebuchadnezzar, also spelled Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon. His name is thought to have meant "Nebo, protect your servant". It is said that Nebo was the Babylonian name for (the planet) Mercury.
(A note: It seems that the idol Mercurius of Roman mythology probably was a symbol for Nimrod, and through him, Satan.)
Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar's (grand)son. His name is thought to have meant "Bel protect the king". Bel was of course the same as the sun-god Baal, who also was symbolic of Nimrod and ultimately of Satan.
Table of contents – What's new here? – Key-word index – Search function – Goal and purpose – Contact, comment, question
If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
What does the Bible say about Satan the Devil? Various things regarding mankind's arch-enemy. → ed04c.htm
The cherubs, cherubim or keruwbim, what did they look like? Also: Do angels have wings, and in what form do they appear? → ed01c.htm
Are angels immortal, or can they die? → ed02c.htm
What does the Bible say about angels? A study on angels and archangels, including the origin and meaning of the words "angel" and "archangel". → ed07b.htm
The Great White Throne Judgment, a time when both living and dead will be judged. When will it take place, where, and who will judge? Also, there is more to take into consideration, because the Bible talks about more than one still future times of judgment. → et07e.htm
A study on the phrases "the snare of the Devil" and "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 3:7 and 6:9-10 and 2 Timothy 2:26). On Jesus' and Paul's teachings regarding how those who proclaimed the Gospel or Good Message could become spiritually unfruitful. → em08c.htm
Many people wonder, why does God allow evil, sickness, pain, war and suffering? What is the biblical answer – does the Bible explain that matter, or in some way make it understandable? → ew01b.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
What does the Bible say about demons? On the word "demon", and the old Greek words daimôn and daimonion. → ed08c.htm
On the dragons, flying serpents, satyrs, unicorns, the leviathan, and other odd creatures that appear in many translations of the Bible. → ed03b.htm
Colossians 1:26, "the mystery of the ages" or "the secret of God", and the "princes of this age" and "thrones and dominions". How Jesus conquered and spoiled certain principalities and powers. → ed06c.htm
On the Day of Atonement and its symbolism. (Yom Kippur or the Fast, Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-32.) → ex05b.htm
On how the Lord's prayer (the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6), the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7) and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5, verses 3-11) have a connection with the Old Covenant's Day of Atonement. → ec05c.htm
What does Revelation 14:10 mean? Will men or angels be tormented with fire and brimstone, for ages and ages? → et08b.htm
The so-called "divine right of kings" – is there such a thing? Are kings, rulers and governments appointed by God? → ew02c.htm
A few things regarding certain ancient kingdoms which are mentioned in the Bible. (Assyria, Babylon or Chaldea, Persia and Media.) → ew08b.htm
The Babylon of the book of Revelation, what or where is it? What about the Beast, or beasts, that are mentioned in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation? → ew03b.htm
Gentiles, pagans and heathen or heathens – what do those words mean? This exposition makes it plain and clear what the concepts "gentile", "pagan" and "heathen" actually refer to, in the Bible. → eg01c.htm
Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43, the parable of the darnel or "tares", the wicked seed sown by the Enemy. → ew11c.htm
The King James bible, the Authorised Version – is it somehow "the inspired Word of God", better than other translations, or a particularly "holy" bible-version, or the best or most exact or accurate one as some have claimed? Also: In what way or sense is it authoritative, or, who "authorised" it? This essay has some details of the story behind the King James translation or KJV, including the men who were involved in producing it. Two examples of pages in KJV-1611 are included as well; one is an image showing the page with Hebrews 1, the other is a PDF-file containing a facsimile, picture format copy of the book of Matthew in the year 1611 edition of the King James version. There are also some brief remarks on the so-called "Received Text" or Textus Receptus, the Greek NT text compilation produced by the Catholic priest Gerrit Gerritszoon ("Erasmus"). → es03c.htm
What does the Bible say about authority? Who has biblical, spiritual or religious authority on the mundane, human level? Who can speak for God? Knowing the answers to those questions is a vital key to understanding the Bible in a better and deeper way. → es06d.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
Ezekiel's temple – the book of Ezekiel, chapters 40 to 48, including the temple outline and the sacrifices mentioned in those chapters. What was the prophet talking about – what did that vision really refer to? → eo17b.htm
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This page was created or modified 2010-02-14.