Give The Devil His Due

Chapter 2
Common Beliefs and powers under his command, he roves, full of
rage, like a roaring lion, seeking to tempt, to
About The Devil betray, to destroy us, to involve us in guilt and
wickedness. In a word, he is an enemy to God and
At the beginning of this study we read man, and uses his utmost endeavors to rob God of
about the thief on the cross. Let's read His glory and men of their souls.”
that again because I want you to keep it in
mind as we study other Scriptures about In a few short words, this sums up
the devil, Satan, and the serpent: what most of the “fundamentalist”
preachers would say of the devil. Cruden
And one of the malefactors which comments further:
were hanged railed on him, saying, If
thou be Christ, save thyself and us. “Common belief assigns something like omnis-
cience to the evil being thus described. He is
But the other answering rebuked him, regarded as universally at work, alike active in
saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing England and America, and all other parts of the
thou art in the same condemnation? globe at the same time, and exerting his seductive
And we indeed justly; for we receive arts in millions of hearts at once. He is also
the due reward of our deeds: but this believed to be, in some sense, omnipotent, achiev-
ing his behest by a power superior to nature, and
man hath done nothing amiss. certainly more successful than God in the mutual
Luke 23:39-41 strife for human souls, since hell, according to tra-
dition, receives a far larger proportion of the
So the thief said that his own wicked- earth's inhabitants than find their ways to the
ness had caused his problem. He did not celestial city.”
say that the devil caused it. He was
receiving the “due” reward of his deeds. In I think you would agree that the above
other words, death was justly due him. is a general statement of the belief of the
The thief didn't give any “due” to the fundamentalist churches. They believe
devil, but claimed it all for himself. that, in this contest between the devil and
God, the devil has been in the past, and is
Most professing Christian churches currently, the victor: the successful one,
say the devil, or Satan, is a living creature because he has claimed more human
who has thoughts and power of his own. beings or more souls than God has.
They teach that he influences many
human beings to do wicked deeds or to There is another teaching about the
have wicked thoughts. devil, which denies that any such creature
exists. Most who believe this teaching,
The following is a quote from Cruden also, deny that God Almighty exists. Some
(of Cruden's Concordance) describing call themselves, Atheists or Evolutionists
what he calls “the Devil or Satan”: and they claim that the natural world,
which we see, is all that exists. They say
“A most wicked angel, the implacable enemy and it came into being somehow; we know not
tempter of the human race, deadly in his malice, quite how, but that it has evolved into
surprisingly subtle, possessing strength superior what we see today without any outside
to ours, having a mighty number of principalities
force acting upon it.
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 On the other hand, some believe in a In reading through the New
supernatural Devil to whom they've Testament, our devil first was something
attributed ALL power. They praise him that acted upon individual Christians and
and become Devil or Satan Worshippers. then, Lo and behold, by the time we
These people claim that they receive ben- reached the Book of Revelation, he had
efits, or receive their desires, from the become nations, kingdoms, and earthly
devil. They, actually, came up with a relig- powers. Reading about the devil in the
ion (which we would call “devil worship”), last part of the New Testament, we found
where they give praise to “the Devil” to the description did not fit anything else
the exclusion of God. we had read at the first. There seemed to
be a tremendous contradiction. Also, there
Christians are instructed not to give is somewhat of a contradiction between
place to the devil. They are to put on the what the Bible teaches and what the
whole armor of God to stand against the churches teach, according to what I just
devil. Christians are warned that they can quoted from Mr. Cruden.
sometimes be captives of the devil. The
devil has the power of death, but Jesus We cannot use the descriptions in
destroyed that power. The devil will flee if Revelation, chapters 12, 13 and 17, for
you resist him. He is likened to a lion, what is commonly considered “the devil.”
devouring people. John wrote: “All who Here, he is being described as nations,
have sinned are of the devil” Jesus was kingdoms and world powers. That doesn't
made manifest to destroy the works of the mean that these powers have nothing to
devil. do with the devil but they are not the devil
itself. Nations and kingdoms are made up
of many people and earthly powers. They
cannot be described as an angelic or
supernatural being.

The Word “Diabolos”

Let's read Revelation 20 to try and find

“the Devil” of the churches.

And I saw an angel come down from

heaven, having the key of the bot-
tomless pit and a great chain in his
In Revelation, we found that the devil
hand. And he laid hold on the dragon,
can put Christians in prison. Reading the
that old serpent, which is the Devil,
references to the devil in order, from the
and Satan, and bound him a thou-
New Testament, we came across a beast
sand years, And cast him into the bot-
who was called a “dragon,” a “serpent,”
tomless pit, and shut him up, and set
and also “the Devil” (capitalized). This
a seal upon him, that he should
beast turned out to be, what could only be
deceive the nations no more, till the
described, as great world powers, nations
thousand years should be fulfilled:
and kingdoms because the beast, Who is,
and after that he must be loosed a lit-
also, called the Devil, had seven heads
tle season.
and ten horns and those heads and horns
Revelation 20:1-3
were described as nations and. kingdoms.

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 The term “devil” is used in verse two, Paul is saying that women have to be
and, again, in verse ten of Revelation 20. exhorted not to be devils. It appears, then,
The Greek word is “diabolos.” According to that Paul thought that men and women
Strong's Concordance, it means “traducer” could be “diabolos” or “devils,” The word
(not seducer but traducer), “false accuser, “serpent,” in Revelation 20, comes from
slanderer or devil.” In the Book of Acts, in this same Greek word: “diabolos,” which
all of the epistles, and in Revelation, every does not give any meaning of immortality
time you read the word, “devil,” it comes or long-living, or any angelic or spirit
from the Greek word “diabolos.” In 2 nature to the serpent, as such. It simply-
Timothy, the word “diabolos” is used but it means “false accuser” or “slanderer.” The
is not translated “devil.” serpent isn't an angelic being, when
defined by the word, “devil,” because both
This know also, that in the last days men and women can be devils.
perilous times shall come. For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, cov- “Sawtawn:” Adversary —
etous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful,
Not Fallen Angel
unholy, Without natural affection,
What about the word “Satan?” The ser-
trucebreakers, false accusers, inconti-
pent in Revelation 20 is called by the title
nent, fierce, despisers of those that are
“Satan.” That is a little simpler to under-
good,
stand because in every case where the
2 Timothy 3:1-3
word “Satan” appears in the New
The two words “false accusers” are Testament, it comes from a Greek word
translated from the word, “diabolos.” If pronounced “satanas.” In the Old
the translators had been consistent, “false Testament, it comes, every time, from the
accusers” would have read, “devils.” Then same Hebrew word which is pronounced,
verse two would have read that men shall “sawtawn.” Here is what Strong's
be devils (diabolos). Concordance says of the Greek word
“satanas:”
But the devil, or devils, were not sup-
posed to be human! Yet, Paul says in the — Of Chaldean origin, the accuser, or the
last days mortal men shall be “diabolos.” “devil.”
This is the same word that is used in
Revelation, chapters 2 and 20, and in all Strong's says this of the Hebrew word
of the epistles. Just so we don't leave the “sawtawn:”
women out, let's read what it says in chap-
ter two of Titus: — Opponent, adversary, Satan. From a
slightly different root “sawtan, “ meaning
But speak thou the things which to attack, accuse, to be an adversary, or to
become sound doctrine. That the aged resist.
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound
in faith, in charity, in patience. The So, the word “Satan” in the original
aged women likewise, that they be in Greek and Hebrew, both in the Old
behaviour as becometh holiness, not Testament and the New, comes from the
false accusers (diabolos), not given to same word. It is a word of Chaldean origin
much wine, teachers of good things, ... which was transliterated by the Hebrews
Titus 2:1-3 and picked up by the Greeks unchanged.

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It means “accuser,” “adversary,” “oppo- Here is another passage that uses the
nent,” or it means “to do what an accuser, term “adversary”:
adversary or an opponent does.”
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his ser-
Let me demonstrate this from the use vants unto Solomon; for he had heard
of “Satan” in the Old Testament. In that they had anointed him king in
Numbers 22, Balak has hired Balaam to the room of his father: for Hiram was
prophesy against Israel. ever a lover of David. And Solomon
sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest
Here, the word “sawtawn” is used and how that David my father could not
it is translated “adversary:” build an house unto the name of the
Lord his God for the wars which were
And God came unto Balaam at night, about him on every side, until the
and said unto him, If the men come to Lord put them under the soles of his
call thee, rise up, and go with them; feet. But now the Lord my God hath
but yet the word which I shall say given me rest on every side, so that
unto thee, that shalt thou do. And there is neither adversary (satan) nor
Balaam rose up in the morning, and evil occurrent.
saddled his ass, and went with the Kings 5:1-4
princes of Moab. And God's anger was
kindled because he went: and the The word “adversary” is from
angel of the Lord stood in the way for “sawtawn.” Solomon was saying to Hiram
an adversary (satan) “God hath given me rest on every side, so
Numbers 22:20-22 that there is neither SATAN nor evil
occurrent.” Solomon says there was no
Here we have an angel of the Lord who satan at that time. There was no “satan”
is a “satan” or an “adversary” against this because the word “satan” in the Chaldean,
man. The Hebrew text says the angel of Hebrew and Greek means “opponent” or
the Lord was, literally, “a satan.” “adversary.” Solomon was saying he had
no opponent; he was at peace. This word
In chapter 19 of 2 Samuel, David is in
“sawtawn” is translated “Satan” 19 times
an argument with his own men. A man
in the Old Testament. It is found once in I
who had previously maligned David came
Chronicles, 14 times in Job, once in
and begged his forgiveness. David's men
Psalms and three times in Zechariah. The
said that David should kill the man
other 13 times that the word “sawtawn”
because he had cursed the Lord's anoint-
appears, it is translated “adversary.” So it
ed. David replied:
is transliterated to “Satan” 19 times and it
And David said, What have I to do is translated “adversary” 12 times.
with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye Adversary is the literal meaning of the
should this day be adversaries word in all three languages - Chaldean,
(Satans) unto me? shall there any Hebrew, and Greek.
man be put to death this day in
Israel? I think we should read a few more pas-
2 Samuel 19:22 sages where “sawtawn” is translated
“adversary.” In 1 Kings 11, near the end of
David spoke to the officers in his own his reign, we read that Solomon has
army and asked them why they were sinned against God:
being “sawtawns” or “satans” to him.

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And the Lord was angry with And he was an adversary (satan) to
Solomon, because his heart was Israel all the days of Solomon, beside
turned from the Lord God of Israel, the mischief that Hadad did: and he
which had appeared unto him twice. abhorred Israel, and reigned over
And had commanded him concerning Syria.
this thing, that he should not go after 1 Kings 11:25
other gods: but he kept not that which
the Lord commanded. Wherefore the David also used the word “sawtawn” in
Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch Psalm 38:
as this is done of thee, and thou hast
not kept my covenant and my statutes, But mine enemies are lively, and they
which I have commanded thee, I will are strong: and they that hate me
surely rend the kingdom from thee, wrongfully are multiplied. They also
and will give it to thy servant. Not that render evil for good are mine ad-
withstanding in thy days I will not do versaries (satans); because I follow
it for David thy father's sake: but I the thing that good is.
will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Psalm 38:19-20
Howbeit I will not rend away all the
kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy “Adversaries” is made plural here by
son for David my servant's sake, and the translators. In the original text the
for Jerusalem's sake which I have word is “sawtawn,” it can be used as both
chosen. singular and plural. The translators made
1 Kings 11:9-13 it plural because of David's use of the plu-
ral “they.” He had more than one adver-
God is telling Solomon what He is sary and they were “satans:” If the
going to do because of Solomon's sin. translators had been consistent, they
would have transliterated “sawtawn” into
And the Lord stirred up an adversary “Satan.”
(a Satan) unto Solomon, Hadad the
Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Two other places where “sawtawn” was
Edom. translated, “adversaries,” are in Psalm 71
1 Kings 11:14 and Psalm 109:

The Lord stirred up a satan. Who was O God, be not far from me: O my God,
this satan? He was not only a man, but his make haste for my help. Let them be
name is given: “Hadad.” He was a mortal confounded and consumed that are
man of Edom. adversaries (satans) to my soul; let
them be covered with reproach and
And God stirred him up another dishonour that seek my hurt.
adversary (satan), Rezon the son of Psalm 71:12-13
Eliadah, which fled from his lord
Hadadezer king of Zobah: Hold not thy peace, O God of my
1 Kings 11:23 praise; For the mouth of the wicked
and the mouth of the deceitful are
So, here is another satan, who is a opened against me: they have spoken
mortal, and his name is in the Bible. against me with a lying tongue. They
compassed me about also with words
of hatred; and fought against me

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without a cause. For my love they are In every case where the original word
my adversaries (satans): but I give “sawtawn” has been used, so far, we can-
myself unto prayer. not use it for anything other than mortal
Psalm 109:1-4 human beings.

David's adversaries were not super- “Sawtawn” In Job

natural, angelic beings. But, they were
“satans.” As I stated earlier, of the 19 times that
the word “sawtawn” is transliterated as
And they have rewarded me evil for “Satan,” 14 occur in Job. We will have to
good, and hatred for my love. Set thou read those 14 passages in order to under-
a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand who or what caused all of Job's trou-
(or an adversary) stand at his right ble. In the modern churches, it is common
hand. teaching that this fallen angel, this super-
Psalm 109:5-6 natural, angelic being, called “Satan,” was
responsible.
“Satan,” in verse five, is the same word
translated “adversaries” in verse four. There was a man in the land of Uz,
Here it is transliterated into the word whose name was Job; and that man
“Satan”: “let Satan stand at his right was perfect and upright, and one that
hand.” If you will, think about that for a feared God, and eschewed evil. And
moment. David is not praying that God there were born unto him seven sons
will put “Satan,” the devil of the churches, and three daughters. His substance
at the right hand of his enemy, but that also was seven thousand sheep, and
God would place one of their own three thousand camels, and five hun-
adversaries there. This is confusing dred yoke of oxen, and five hundred
because of the translation of the same she asses, and a very great household;
word two different ways in the same text. so that this man was the greatest of
all the men of the east. And his sons
Let this be the reward of mine adver- went and feasted in their houses,
saries (satans) from the Lord, and of every one his day; and sent and called
them that speak evil against my soul. for their three sisters to eat and to
Psalm 109:20 drink with them. And it was so, when
the days of their feasting were gone
Let mine adversaries (satans) be about, that Job sent and sanctified
clothed with shame, and let them cov- them, and rose up early in the morn-
er themselves with their own confu- ing, and offered burnt offerings
sion, as with a mantle. according to the number of them all:
Psalm 109:29 for Job said, It may be that my sons
have sinned, and cursed God in their
Again, David used “adversaries” or hearts. Thus did Job continually.
“satans” as a word that meant “human Job 1:1-5
enemies.” You cannot make this
“sawtawn,” or “satan” into an everliving, We have established at the very begin-
angelic, supernatural creature in any of ning that Job is very wealthy, he has
the passages that we have read so far. In many sons and daughters, and he is a
fact, in some places, he is a specific human God-fearing man who praised God for all
being and he is named. of his substance and all of his children.
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Now there was a day when the sons of and even his sons and daughters. The
God came to present themselves before churches say this was done by a great,
the Lord, and Satan came also among angelic, malevolent, evil, wicked being
them. who tempts and brings evil to all the other
Job 1:6 people of the earth.

The margin in my Bible, and in many After Job lost everything we read:
Bibles, actually has the words “the 'adver-
sary' came, also, among them,” because it In all this Job sinned not, nor
is the same word “sawtawn.” Only here, it charged God foolishly.
is capitalized and written as “Satan.” Job 1:22
And the Lord said unto Satan,
Again there was a day when the sons
Whence comest thou? Then Satan an-
of God came to present themselves
swered the Lord, and said, From
before the Lord, and Satan (sawtawn)
going to and fro in the earth, and
came also among them to present him-
from walking up and down in it. And
self before the Lord. And the Lord said
the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou
unto Satan, From whence comest
considered my servant Job, that there
thou? And Satan answered the Lord,
is none like him in the earth, a perfect
and said, From going to and fro in the
and an upright man, one that feareth
earth, and from walking up and down
God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan
in it. And the Lord said unto Satan,
answered the Lord, and said, Doth
Hast thou considered my servant Job,
Job fear God for nought? Hast not
that there is none like him in the
thou made an hedge about him, and
earth, a perfect and an upright man,
about his house, and about all that he
one that feareth God, and escheweth
hath on every side? thou hast blessed
evil? and still he holdeth fast his
the work of his hands, and his sub-
integrity, although thou movedst me
stance is increased in the land.
against him, to destroy him without
Job 1:7-10
cause.
This creature, whoever and whatever Job 2:1-3
he is, says that Job fears God and gives
honor to Him because God has blessed So, even after his calamity, Job was
him. God has given him all these things still faithful to God. Now, God tells Satan:
and protects him. “See, in spite of everything that happens,
Job still fears Me and eschews evil.”
But put forth thine hand now, and
touch all that he hath, and he will And Satan answered the Lord, and
curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said, Skin for skin, yes, all that a man
said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath will he give for his life. But put
hath is in thy power; only upon him- forth thine hand now, and touch his
self put not forth thine hand. So bone and his flesh, and he will curse
Satan went forth from the presence of thee to thy face. And the Lord said
the Lord. unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine
Job 1:11-12 hand; but save his life. So went Satan
forth from the presence of the Lord,
As you read on you find that Job lost and smote Job with sore boils from the
his oxen, asses, sheep, servants, camels, sale of his foot unto his crown. And he

7
took him a potsherd to scrape himself something he did was wrong, and that's
withal; and he sat down among the why he had suffered all these calamities.
ashes. So Job rebuked them:
Job 2:4-8
Know now that God hath overthrown
Job was so ill at this point that his wife me, and hath compassed me with his
said: net. Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I
am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is
Dost thou still retain thine integrity? no judgment. He hath fenced up my
curse God, and die. way that I cannot pass, and he hath
Job 2:9 set darkness in my paths. He hath
stripped me of my glory, and taken the
Job's wife gave up. Job had lost every- crown from my head. He hath
thing that he had. He now was in illness destroyed me on every side, and I am
and pain and possibly in fear of his own gone: and mine hope hath he removed
life. At this point almost all fundamental- like a tree. He hath also kindled his
ists without exception have credited some wrath against me, and he counteth
wicked, angelic being called “Satan” me unto him as one of his enemies. His
(“sawtawn” in the original Chaldean lan- troops come together, and raise up
guage) with having done all this to Job. their way against me, and encamp
But, perhaps you missed verse three of round about my tabernacle. He hath
chapter two where God is speaking and put my brethren far from me, and
He said of Job: “and still he holdeth fast mine acquaintance are verily
his integrity, although thou movedst me estranged from me.
against him, to destroy him without Job 19:6-13
cause.” Who did the destroying? God said
that HE did it. Who is Job saying caused all of these
calamities? Job says that God did it. He is
After these additional calamities trying to point out to these men that it
occurred and, apparently, after days of wasn't necessarily any sin of his own but,
conversation with friends who came sup- they should understand that God did it.
posedly to comfort him but who were of no Job says:
great comfort, Job tells his friends:
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me,
How long will ye vex my soul, and O ye my friends; for the hand of God
break me in pieces with words? These hath touched me.
ten times have ye reproached me: ye Job 19:21
are not ashamed that ye make your-
selves strange to me. And be it indeed In the last chapter of Job, after God
that I have erred, mine error has spoken to him, Job answers:
remaineth with myself. If indeed ye
will magnify yourselves against me, I know that thou canst do every thing,
and plead against me my reproach: and that no thought can be with-
Job 19:2-5 holden from thee. Who is he that
hideth counsel without knowledge?
If you know the Book of Job, you know therefore have I uttered that I under-
that these men had been telling Job that stood not: things too wonderful for
he must have sinned. They told Job that me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech

8
thee, and I will speak: I will demand gave Job twice as much as he had
of thee, and declare thou unto me. I before. Then came there unto him all
have heard of thee by the hearing of his brethren, and all his sisters, and
the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. all they that had been of his acquain-
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent tance before, and did eat bread with
in dust and ashes. him in his house: and they bemoaned
Job 42:2-6 him, and comforted him over all the
evil that the Lord had brought upon
Even though Job had rebuked his him: every man also gave him a piece
friends and told them he had not sinned, of money, and every one an earring of
he said: God, I realize what I am, I realize gold. So the Lord blessed the latter
what You are, You can do all things, there- end of Job more than his beginning:
fore, I repent. Then God speaks to the for he had fourteen thousand sheep,
other men: and six thousand camels, and a thou-
sand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she
And it was so, that after the Lord had asses. He had also seven sons and
spoken these words unto Job, the Lord three daughters.
said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My Job 42:9-13
wrath is kindled against thee, and
against thy two friends: for ye have Why did God give Job all of these
not spoken of me the thing that is blessings? They were given in order to
right, as my servant Job hath. replace that which God Almighty had
Therefore take unto you now seven taken from Job. The Book of Job is very
bullocks and seven rams, and go to my specific. The people who in the end came
servant Job, and offer up for your- to comfort Job realized that everything
selves a burnt offering; and my ser- that had happened to Job had been done
vant Job shall pray for you: for him by God Almighty.
will I accept: lest I deal with you after
your folly, in that ye have not spoken I haven't quoted all of Job but I quoted
of me the thing which is right, like my every place where the word “Satan”
servant Job. appears in Job. I defy you to use any part
Job 42:7-8 of those references to conclude that
“satan” is some sort of an everliving crea-
God says that Job spoke right. He then ture who has power almost equal to God.
tells Job's friends to offer a burnt offering If we take the original meaning of the
because, as He says in verse eight: “ye word we come up with the word “adver-
have not spoken of me the thing which is sary.” This adversary could easily have
right, like my servant Job.” These men did been nothing more than another son of
make an offering because God had told God, a man of the Adamic race, who came
them to, as we see in the next passage: before God with the rest of the men and
provoked God to test Job. It was God who
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad brought the calamities. There is no indica-
the Shuhite and Zophar the Naa- tion that the Satan of Job had any super-
mathite went, and did according as natural powers, whatsoever. It was God
the Lord commanded them: the Lord who did the things which were beyond
also accepted Job. And the Lord nature.
turned the captivity of Job, when he
prayed for his friends: also the Lord

9
We are going to have to believe what The word “Satan” is only used in verse
Isaiah wrote: one of this passage. If it had been trans-
lated to the meaning of the word it would
I am the Lord, and there is none else, have said: “an ADVERSARY stood up
there is no God beside me: I girded against Israel, and provoked David to
thee, though thou hast not known me: number Israel” There is nothing in the
That they may know from the rising of context here that can make this “satan”
the sun, and from the west, that there into a fallen angel.
is none beside me. I am the Lord, and
there is none else. I form the light, and The word “Satan” is also found in
create darkness: I make peace, and Psalm 109:
create evil: I the Lord do all these Set thou a wicked man over him: and
things. let Satan stand at his right hand
Isaiah 45:5-7 (referring to his enemy).
Psalm 109:6
“Sawtawn” Is Not The Satan
of Today’s Churches David was saying, “Let an enemy of my
enemy stand at his right hand.” That is
Let's look at the other five times in the all. David would not have prayed for the
Old Testament that “sawtawn” is translit- “Satan” of the churches to be his enemy's
erated into “Satan.” advisor! It hardly makes sense that David
would want a wise and powerful
And Satan stood up against Israel, archangel to be the advisor to his own
and provoked David to number Israel. enemy. No, David was really praying that
And David said to Joab and to the his enemy would have an adversary or an
rulers of the people, Go, number Israel enemy of his own to advise him. This
from Beersheba even to Dan; and would bring calamity upon the enemy's
bring the number of them to me, that I designs. David desired his enemies to
may know it. have satans of their own in their camp.
1 Chronicles 21:1-2
The last three places in the Old
David did number the children of Testament where the word “Satan” is
Israel. This was God's reaction: found are in Zechariah:

And God was displeased with this And he shewed me Joshua the high
thing; therefore he smote Israel. And priest standing before the angel of the
David said unto God, I have sinned Lord, and Satan standing at his right
greatly, because I have done this hand to resist him. And the Lord said
thing: but now, I beseech thee, do unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, a
away the iniquity of thy servant; for I Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen
have done very foolishly. Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a
1 Chronicles 21:7-8 brand plucked out of the fire?
Zechariah 3:1-2
Who did David blame for having done
this thing? Did he give “Satan” his due? There is no indication that the Satan
No, David said: “I have sinned.” here is anything like the one taught by the
churches. He doesn't do anything except
stand there as if he is to resist and, then,

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he is rebuked and we hear no more about Look Who Is “A Satan”
him.
Before we go on, let's look at 2 Samuel,
The margin says that the last part of chapter 24 which is a repetition of the
verse one could read “an adversary” for same story we read earlier about David
the word “Satan.” The last three words “to numbering Israel:
resist him” should have read “to be his
adversary” (satan). The word “resist” is And again the anger of the Lord was
translated from the same Chaldean word: kindled against Israel, and he (Satan)
“sawtawn.” It means “to resist or be an moved David against them to say, Go,
adversary.” number Israel and Judah.
2 Samuel 24:1
So here in Zechariah, as in Job and I
Chronicles 21, there is absolutely no evi- The balance of the chapter is identical
dence that this “sawtawn” or “Satan” is to 1 Chronicles 21, where it says Satan
anything resembling the Satan preached provoked David to number Israel. The
by the churches. He is mentioned as if he “Satan” of 1 Chronicles 21:1 is none other
is just standing there, it does not say he than God Himself being “an adversary.”
does anything. He is rebuked, and we That is the way the word is used.
hear no more about him.
So far, the only place we could give the
We've read every passage in the Old devil any due at all is in Job, where we
Testament where the Chaldean word read:
“sawtawn” is used. It is either translated
“adversary” or is transliterated into the So went Satan forth from the presence
word, “Satan.” Not once can it really be of the Lord, and smote Job with sore
used to teach some sort of a wicked, pow- boils from the sole of his foot unto his
erful, omnipotent angel or some great crown.
enemy of God who, literally, can overpow- Job 2:7
er mankind and (almost) God, Himself. In
each and every case, the word names or So, if we want to give the Satan of Job
describes someone who is opposed to anything, according to the strict interpre-
someone else. In most cases the tation of what we just read, we could only
“sawtawn” or “Satan” is obviously a mor- admit one thing: that he might have given
tal man. In fact, he is sometimes named. Job boils. Some people could probably tes-
In no case is there any indication of long- tify that quite a few of us could get boils
life or supernatural powers. It kind of by taking some sort of toxins into our
takes the wind out of Satan's sails, would- body. Doctors give people boils all the time
n't you think? Or, perhaps, we're just tak- by giving them injections that are bad for
ing the wind out of the mouths of the false their body. Boils are nothing more than
prophets. the body's attempt to eject something
through the skin that is a poison to the
body. This great Satan couldn't have done
very much, he couldn't have much power,
if all he could do was give Job boils.

In Psalm 109:6 we saw that “satan”

obviously-means “adversary.” We just
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read three times in Zechariah where Summary Of The Word
“sawtawn” or “Satan” was going to resist “Sawtawn”
either the angel of the Lord or Joshua.
The Lord rebuked him and then there is Let me sum up the use of the word
no further comment about him. So “sawtawn” in the original text. It is very
“Satan” has done nothing that would important that you understand what we
make him a great, powerful archangel, are discovering in this study. We must see
who does terrible wicked things to all the what the Bible does or does not teach;
people of the earth. It is possible that the since we are living in a time when the
only act he ever completed was to give Job churches, and many secular people, are
boils. building up a great “anti-Christ,” who is
supposed to be a certain being, who will
In 11 cases, “sawtawn” is translated rule the world. At the same time, these
“adversary.” From the context in each case churches preach that this anti-Christ also
“sawtawn” simply means “an adversary” rules an underworld, where billions of
or “an opponent.” In two cases, the dead reside.
“sawtawn” is named as mortal men, in one
case, he is an angel of God, and once, he is We have found that 19 times in the Old
God himself. So “sawtawn,” as it is used in Testament, “sawtawn” is transliterated
the Old Testament, does not and cannot be “Satan.” All 19 are contained within only
used to teach that there exists a great and four passages. In I Chronicles 21:1 we see,
powerful archangel; who goes about tear- from reading the other account, that the
ing souls out of the hand of God, taking “sawtawn” here is obviously God, Himself.
them down to his abode in the “nether The second passage is in Job, where the
world” and punishing them for ever and word “Satan” is used 14 times. In Job,
ever. The word “sawtawn,” from which we Satan is an adversary — there is no argu-
get “Satan,” is simply not used that way. ment about that. The only certain thing
he did directly was to give Job boils. In
Yet we find, if we think for a moment, Psalm 109:6, the word “Satan” plainly
that this horrible creature who is the sub- means “enemy” or “adversary” - it is defi-
ject of so much fearsome preaching from nitely not the devil of the churches. In
the churches, is identical to another crea- Zechariah 4, whoever or whatever he is,
ture called “the devil”, “Lucifer” and he just stood there, he was rebuked, and
“Satan” who is depicted in the movies, in that appears to be the end of him. There is
stories and on television. It should make no act accredited to him at all.
you think, for a moment, why the Satan of
the churches is identical to the Satan “Sawtawn” is translated “adversary”
depicted by movie makers, who do not seven times in the Old Testament.
believe in Christ. These antiChristian Sawtawn comes from the primary root
movie makers have come out in recent word “sawtan;” which also has been trans-
times with stories about how a supernatu- lated in the Old Testament, as “adversary”
ral being, called the devil or Satan, cohab- five times. The first time we find
its with a woman and produces a half- “sawtawn” translated “adversary” is in
devil child. Numbers 22, where the “sawtawn” was
the angel of the Lord. In I Samuel 29:4,
the “sawtawn” was David, himself, as an
adversary to the Philistines. In 2 Samuel

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19:22, the “sawtawns” are David's own
men. In 1 Kings 5:4, Solomon said he had Out of 11 passages and 31 usages of
peace and there was no “sawtawn.” the words “sawtawn” and “sawtan”, there
Solomon meant that there was no enemy, is only one passage where there is even an
or enemy nation, against him. In 1 Kings inkling that this “sawtawn” has any
11, after Solomon had turned and sinned supernatural power. That supernatural
against God, the word “sawtawn” (trans- power could have been, simply, giving a
lated adversary) is used three times. God man boils. Think of what the churches tell
raised up “sawtawns” against Solomon. us Satan is, compared to what the Bible
These “sawtawns” are named, they are does NOT say about Satan. In 10 out of 11
mortal men, kings or generals of other times, the “sawtawn” is an angel. Six
nations. In Psalm 109, the word “adver- times it is men. One time it is something,
saries” is used three times. Each time the or someone, who gave Job boils. It is pos-
word comes from the Chaldean, “sawtan” sible that Job had a doctor who was an
which has the same meaning as adversary of his and who gave him boils, I
“sawtawn.” “Satan” is found only once in don't know. That is speculation on my part
that same passage as a transliteration of But, that is no more speculation than the
“sawtawn” and it means “enemy.” David teaching we hear about this great, wicked,
calls his wicked enemies, “my sawtawns” supernatural, omniscient, omnipresent
or “enemies” (plural). In that case it can- angel; who is all over the earth, all at the
not possibly mean one great, wicked same time, stealing billions of souls and
archangel. So, the amazing truth is that taking them down to his kingdom in the
the Chaldean word “sawtawn” (and its earth.
root word “sawtan”) is used 31 times in _______________
only 11 passages in the Old Testament.

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