EVIDENCES OF SATAN HAVING ANGELIC POWERS DURING THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD
When we read the Old Testament, we can find the name "SATAN" only 19 times, but in the New Testament, 37 times. This fact reveals that the people in the Old Testament were not dealing with Satan as we do today in the New Testament. When we carefully look at how Satan was functioning in the Old Testament in comparison to how he functions now (in The New Testament), you can see a major difference.
God has used His angels to punish nations, including His own people (Children of Israel) many times during the Old Testament Period. Look at the below scriptures:(1Ch 21:15)
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it:...
One single angel can destroy millions of people with the angelic power given to them over humans within a very short period of time . Look at the below scripture:
(2Ki 19:35)
And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
The above scripture shows that 2580 humans were slain by a single angel over night. However, none of the angles have authority to use this power against humans without the consent of God at any given time. Look at the below scripture:
(2Sa 24:16)
And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
The above scripture shows how an angel was immediately stopped by God from using his angelic power against humans, even when the angel was using the same power in obedience to carry out a mission given by God Himself.
Among these angels whom God has used to destroy people during the Old Testament Period, Satan is found as a Main Character. Look at the below scripture:
(Exo 12:12-13)
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
When you read the above passage of the Scripture, you might think that God was planning to smite (kill) all the firstborn in the land of Egypt with a plague. Truly, that is exactly what is said by the Scripture. In the Old Testament, we have seen God sending plagues (sometimes known as pestilences) to kill even Children of Israel when they were rebelling against God in the wilderness.
But what do you mean by the word "PLAGUE" or "PESTILENCE"?
Do you think these are any deadly diseases used by God to kill people instantly?
Not at all. Look at the below scripture In order to understand what God meant by the word "PLAGUE" (PESTILENCE) when He was planning to kill the firstborn in the land of Egypt:
(Exo 12:23)
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
The above verse reveals the fact that God was going to use 'THE DESTROYER' in order to smite the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Who is this destroyer?
The destroyer is another name given to Satan. Satan is also called, "The Old Serpent", "The Deceiver", "The Devil", "Abaddon", "Apollyon", Beelzebub" and "The Great Dragon". Truly, God was using Satan to kill the first born in the Land of Egypt. With this type of instant killing of humans by way of angels was referred to as plagues and pestilences In The Old Testament. Look at the below scriptures:
(2Sa 24:15-16)
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
The word "PESTILENCE" in the above passage of the Scripture, had killed seventy thousand men in all parts of the land of Israel by the time it was entering the city of Jerusalem. But, you can see who is behind this word, "PESTILENCE" when it was entering Jerusalem.Truly this pestilence was the act of killing of Israelites by an angel of God.
Do you think Satan as the Devil, equal to man in power would do this kind of killing when God was using him as the destroyer to kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt?
In fact, Satan did this killing in the capacity of Lucifer, with the angelic power given to him. Satan was functionally Lucifer although he was spiritually condemned to be the devil being equal to a man in power.
Here is another example to prove the fact that Satan was enoying angelic powers in the capacity of Lucifer during the Old Testament...
We read in the Book of Daniel that Daniel was praying to God for the wisdom to understand a particular vision he had had, but he did not receive any response from God for three weeks. During these three weeks, Daniel was on fasting in sackcloth as he was worried for not having the answer to his prayer from God. But at the end of the third week, the angel Gabriel appeared to him with the answer from God. When the angel appeared to Daniel, the angel was explaining the reason for the delay in bringing God's repsonse to Daniel's prayer. Look at the below scriptures:
(Daniel 10:11-13)
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Many believe that the prince of the kingdom of Persia is Satan or the devil while the kings of Persia are all evil spirits.
But how come Satan could hold an holy angel of God (Gabriel) with his demonic powers?
Truly, it is Satan who held Gabriel, the holy angel of God. But he held him not in the capacity of the devil being equal to a man in power. but in the capacity of Lucifer holding the designation as the prince of the kingdom of Persia. This is an angelic position God had given to Lucifer right at the beginning of the world. Princes and kings were holy angles of God who were appointed as the ministering spirits for humans on earth right at the beginning.
Thus, it was Satan who held Gabriel from reaching Daniel. Gabriel did not have angelic power to fight against Satan who functioned in the capacity of Lucifer, the best angel of God. But at this point, Michael, the only Angel appointed to fight against Lucifer (as in the Book of Revelation), was released by God in favour of Gabriel.
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