Satan was not a Slanderer Until Rev 12:12 – 13 Part One

We have been deceived into believing that ‘devil’ is a name for Satan. This deception was accomplished by classifying Satan שטן as the Greek diabolos (Strong’s G1228 38 occurrences) that means ‘false accuser, slander’. Satan שטן is found in 30 of the 38 verses where the word ‘devil’ is found, leaving only 7 verses with the Hebrew מלשין, translated ‘slanderers, false accusers’ in 1 Tim 3:11, 2 Tim 3:3, Titus 2:3, and ‘devil’ in Rev 2:10, 12:9, 12, 20:2.

The title ‘Slanderer’ will be used because it accurately represents the meaning of the Hebrew מלשין, used of people are ‘slanderers’, not ‘devils’, a title that conjures up an image of Satan as a being with horns and red eyes.

Most of the occurrences of diabolos are satan שטן, that as a verb means ‘accuse, oppose’ (Strong’s H7853 6 occurrences) and as a noun means ‘Satan, adversary, accuser’ (Strong’s H7854 27 occurrences), and לשן (Strong’s H3960) means ‘accuse, slander’. Which is misleading because Satan does not have a tongue to accuse or slander. Satan is an ‘adversary’ who ‘opposes’ in the broadest sense, not an ‘accuser, slanderer’. Satan was standing against the angel of Yahweh’s right hand to ‘oppose’ שטן him in Zech 3:1.

Looking at the verses in the New Testament where satan שטן is classified as Satanas (Strong’s G4567 36 occurrences) and translated ‘Satan’, in Matt 4:10, 12:26 x 2, 16:23, Mark 1:13, 3:23 x 2, 26, 4:15, 8:33, Luke 10:18, 13:16, 22:3, 31, John 13:27, Acts 5:3, 26:18, Romans 16:20, 1 Cor 5:5, 7:5, 2 Cor 2:11, 11:14, 12:7, 1 Thes 2:18, 2 Thes 2:9, 1 Tim 1:20, 5:15, Rev 2:9, 13 x 2, 24, 3:9, 12:9, 20:2 & 7, and those where satan שטן is classified as diabolos (Strong’s G1228 30 of 38 occurrences) and translated ‘devil’, in Matt 4:1, 5, 8, 11, 13:39, 25:41, Luke 4:2, 3, 5, 6, 13 , 8:12, John 6:70, 8:44, 13:2, Acts 10:38, Eph 4:27, 6:11, 1 Tim 3:6, 7, 2 Tim 2:26, Hebrews 2:14, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 3:8 x 3, 10, Jude 1:9, and Rev 20:10, we see why many believe the devil is Satan.

This is especially confusing in the temptation account in Matt 4:1 – 11 where שטן is translated ‘Satan’ in verse 10, and ‘Devil’ in verse 1, 5, 8, & 11, when in the same account in Luke 4:1 – 13 שטן is only translated ‘Devil’, and in Rev 20:1 – 10 where שטן is translated ‘Satan’ in verses 2 & 7, and ‘Devil’ in verse 10, making it appear that the names Satan and Devil are interchangeable.

The only way to see that the following verses are about Satan, not the Devil, is by looking at the Hebrew text.

• Satan sowed the weeds, in the weeds and wheat parable in Matt 13:24 – 30,
• The everlasting fire was prepared for Satan and his angels in Matt 25:41.
• Satan comes and takes away the Word from their hearts so that they will not believe and be saved, in the parable of the sower in Luke 8:4 – 15.
• Yahshua accused Judas of being possessed by Satan in John 6:70, because Satan put into his heart to betray him in John 13:2.
• Yahshua said Satan was the progenitor of the scribes and Pharisees, who was a murderer from the beginning in John 8:44.
• Satan’s hand יד oppressed people in Acts 10:38.
• Yahshua became flesh and blood for the purpose destroying power of the death union with leader to him dominion the death himself the Satan in Hebrew 2:14.
• When we resist the Satan and will flee from before us James 4:7.
• Satan prowls around like a lion roaring, and seeking union with leader to devour in 1 Peter 5:8.
• Those who make sin from out of the Satan themselves for the Satan sinner from beginning for this purpose son the gods to manifest union with works the Satan. All that born from gods not will sin for seed him in them remain, and not able to sin for from gods born. And we children in this sons of the gods and sons of the Satan, all might one leader not will make righteousness not from gods and upright station all leader not love union with companion of them in 1 John 3:8 – 10.
• “The Satan והשטן leader אשר the hand of them הדיחם that cast השלך in lake באגם fire אש and brimstone וגפרית, leader אשר name שם also גם the living החיה and prophet ונביא the false השקר and discipline them ויסרו day יומם and night ולילה for ages לעולמי and ages עולמים.” in Rev 20:10. (The Hebrew text of this verse also identifies Satan as the hand of the leaders of the world!)

Next, we will look at evidence that the ‘serpent of old’ is referring to the serpent in Gen 3:1 – 5, who was Adam possessed by Satan in the article The Serpent Ancient in Rev 12:9 and 20:2 was Adam and Satan Part Two. Finally, to complete our understanding of ‘the Slanderer’, we will look at the Hebrew text of Rev 12:12 – 13 that reveals Satan Became a Slanderer after he was thrown out of heaven, in the article Satan Became a Slanderer in Rev 12:12 – 13 Part Three.