10/30/2024
Unpopular Opinion:
Satan, the Devil, is not and never was a fallen angel; all narratives pointing otherwise use sources out of context and etymology without understanding.
Satan, as Jesus said, "...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 KJV)
To perpetuate the falsehood that Satan was once pure and rebelled is harmful to understanding God and His plan. It distorts the true narrative of God's salvation and care for His creation.
Satan's name was never "Lucifer", he did not steal 1/3 of God's angels in rebellion.
Revelation 12:9 says: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels (ἄγγελοι) were cast out with him". This is a drastic failure in translation. The word ἄγγελοι, translated as "Angel" in modern English, originally meant "Messenger". Thus the Devil and his messengers were cast out, not the Devil and some of God's angels.
Satan and his messengers (ἄγγελοι) were created in fiat as an inherent aspect of reality. The purpose of Satan, and therefore Evil, is to create a tension between the Free Will given to Humanity by God and the Goodness held and given only by God; the telos of Satan is to reify our Liberty by presenting an unacceptable alternative.
Satan was always and will always be Absolute Evil. Satan's messengers (ἄγγελοι) were never pure angels.
The War in Heaven, which is said to take place before the creation of Man and Woman, has no scriptural basis whatsoever; any direct and collective conflict between Satan and God takes place in prophecy and therefore not in the past.
Do not be led astray by Satan, who is the Devil, nor his messengers who obey only Evil.