A question about God and The Serpant

[forGod1]

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."

So, here's my problem.. Hell was designed to punish Satan, right? How did Satan get the powers to become the snake? God cursed snakes.. into a new transformation. Satan doesn't control hell, as i understand it.. he'll be tortured once this world stops, right?

 

[Bobinator]

A couple of ground rules to follow in this discussion.

First, There is no doubt that Satan is a spiritual entity. Therefore, we know the “serpent” was a spirit.

And second, God is a spirit, and we know He created a vast universe of spiritual beings. I have no reason to doubt there could be as many different species or types of spiritual beings like there are different species on Earth. Perhaps even more.

In Genesis 3, the serpent was numbered among the cattle. "Cattle" as we know it are bovine animals that do little more than eat, poop and destroy the ozone by their production of... Ahem, a natural and potential renewable energy source.:o But cattle could have another meaning as an adjective, as opposed to a noun. The word "cattle" is not limited to a cow. It can be used to describe a class of entities, based on their behavior.

The word “cattle” is related to the word “herd”. A herd refers to large numbers of beasts that hang out in large groups, scattered all over the face of creation.

Based only on what Genesis 3 says, the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field. The words “beasts” and “field” can also be applied in the spiritual sense as well. Beasts could refer to animalistic or wild creatures (demons). The serpent wasn’t necessarily the strongest, but he was the smartest and the most cunning. When you look at gangs or organized crime, the leaders aren’t usually the strongest physically. They’re the smartest and most ambitious of the group, and they know how to manipulate people.

Genesis 3 is the part where God curses/anoints the serpent an insatiable appetite to consume the carnality and flesh of mankind. Our bodies were formed out of the dust, and so it is the devil's desire to ensure it returns to the dust (death). Our bodies are carnal, and so the more we yield to the desires of the flesh, the more we give in to the works of Satan and make us vulnerable to him. In the garden, Adam and Eve had no fear of the serpent prior to Genesis 4.

Jesus said in John 14:30- “... for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Why? Because Jesus didn’t walk after the flesh. He followed after the Spirit. Satan didn’t have any rights to attack or harm Jesus. And if we follow after the Spirit, we won’t sin either, and Satan would have no power over us as well.

Romans 8:[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit...[4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The curse of God fell on the whole Earth and all of its inhabitants, including the animals. So God didn’t just curse physical snakes. He cursed the entire animal kingdom and the ground we walk on. The “creature”, referred to in Romans 8 (below), refers to God’s physical creation. That all of creation is awaiting the redemption of our bodies and the restoration of the kingdom of God on Earth (as it is in heaven). Remember the Lord’s prayer?

Romans 8:[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

There’s an end to all of this, and it will happen following the 2nd coming of Christ as stated in the Book of Revelations, and it involves God having fully mature sons of God, redeemed from the Earth (Revelations 14).

Regarding Hell- yes it was originally intended for Satan and his minions. But eventually, they and Hell will be cast in the Lake of Fire, along with all of its inhabitants. (Revelations 20:10).

Long answer, but you asked an interesting question.

 

[x141]

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."

So, here's my problem.. Hell was designed to punish Satan, right? How did Satan get the powers to become the snake? God cursed snakes.. into a new transformation. Satan doesn't control hell, as i understand it.. he'll be tortured once this world stops, right?

The serpent was a picture of something, just as Jesus was a lamb, or the rod of Moses, which speaking of God's rod and staff comfort us, but when it was cast down (rod of Jesse) it became a serpent, just a as much as Dan, was a serpent in the path, and Jesus choosing twelve, one being a devil, which is the same as a serpent in your path. You find the wisdom to build the tabernacle was given to Judah and Dan, just as the one who provided the timber for the building of Solomon's temple was the king of Tyre. The rod that became a serpent and when picked up by the tail again becomes a rod, is what draws a son out of Egypt.

 

[apocolypticremedy999]

Satan was not cast directly into hell after the insurrection he provoked in heaven, but down to earth for whatever reason. Once he was throen down to earth, as Revelation reads, he was wrathful at the fact that he knew his time (end) was near.

But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." -Revelation 12:12

It is possible Satan posessed a serpent (which is possible might have been part of the dinosaur family at that time in that snakes and dinosaurs are both reptilians and the serpent did not crawl on its belly until after God cursed him) to entice Eve. Why? I do not know, but if you look at the pattern of history, you may find the answer.

The scripures do say;

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" -Genesis 3:1

The serpent was a part of the wild animals that God had made. Maybe it's also possible that the srepent was only influenced by Satan and that it wasn't necessarily Satan himself, for nowhere does it actually specify the serpent as Satan. Either way, the serpent indeed was an element of Satan't forces and an agent of his schemes. And it may be that Satan used the serpent because of its crafty ways, for Satan is a cunning mastermind, he knows what he's doing.

To answer, your question, yes, Satan will indeed be damned for eternal torture in the unquenchable flames of hell (or the lake of fire), but not at this world's end, for Satan will only be bound in darkness at this world's end for 1,000 years, after which he will be released once more when he will decieve many, and then finally vanquished for good.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.....And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. -Revelation 20:2-10

 

[Knee V]

The Lake of Fire is prepared for Satan and his angels, but the Lake of Fire is not the reality yet.

Hell is a grossly misunderstood word, and it is merely the Germanic equivalent to the Hebrew "Sheol" and the Greek "Hades", and it is "the abode of the dead". In fact, the word "Hell" derives from the same word from which we get words such as "hole", "hall", "hill". And that concept would have originated from burying the dead through the opening of a cave, and those dark caverns would have given rise to myths about the afterlife. So our word "hell" is a very ancient word, and it is only in recent centuries that that word has been confused with a place exclusively for suffering and punishment. So when we read the KJV and see the word "hell" used quite often, it is almost always translated from "Sheol" in the Old Testament and "Hades" in the New Testament, and neither of those words are necessarily a place of punishment and fire, at least not exclusively. Even the righteous went to Hell; it's just that they weren't in a place of torment like the Rich Man was. And those same people were freed from Hell when Christ died and rose from the dead, and death no longer had a stronghold over them.

 

[singpeace]

A couple of ground rules to follow in this discussion.

First, There is no doubt that Satan is a spiritual entity. Therefore, we know the “serpent” was a spirit.

And second, God is a spirit, and we know He created a vast universe of spiritual beings. I have no reason to doubt there could be as many different species or types of spiritual beings like there are different species on Earth. Perhaps even more.

In Genesis 3, the serpent was numbered among the cattle. "Cattle" as we know it are bovine animals that do little more than eat, poop and destroy the ozone by their production of... Ahem, a natural and potential renewable energy source.:o But cattle could have another meaning as an adjective, as opposed to a noun. The word "cattle" is not limited to a cow. It can be used to describe a class of entities, based on their behavior.

The word “cattle” is related to the word “herd”. A herd refers to large numbers of beasts that hang out in large groups, scattered all over the face of creation.

Based only on what Genesis 3 says, the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field. The words “beasts” and “field” can also be applied in the spiritual sense as well. Beasts could refer to animalistic or wild creatures (demons). The serpent wasn’t necessarily the strongest, but he was the smartest and the most cunning. When you look at gangs or organized crime, the leaders aren’t usually the strongest physically. They’re the smartest and most ambitious of the group, and they know how to manipulate people.

Genesis 3 is the part where God curses/anoints the serpent an insatiable appetite to consume the carnality and flesh of mankind. Our bodies were formed out of the dust, and so it is the devil's desire to ensure it returns to the dust (death). Our bodies are carnal, and so the more we yield to the desires of the flesh, the more we give in to the works of Satan and make us vulnerable to him. In the garden, Adam and Eve had no fear of the serpent prior to Genesis 4.

Jesus said in John 14:30- “... for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Why? Because Jesus didn’t walk after the flesh. He followed after the Spirit. Satan didn’t have any rights to attack or harm Jesus. And if we follow after the Spirit, we won’t sin either, and Satan would have no power over us as well.

Romans 8:[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit...[4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The curse of God fell on the whole Earth and all of its inhabitants, including the animals. So God didn’t just curse physical snakes. He cursed the entire animal kingdom and the ground we walk on. The “creature”, referred to in Romans 8 (below), refers to God’s physical creation. That all of creation is awaiting the redemption of our bodies and the restoration of the kingdom of God on Earth (as it is in heaven). Remember the Lord’s prayer?

Romans 8:[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

There’s an end to all of this, and it will happen following the 2nd coming of Christ as stated in the Book of Revelations, and it involves God having fully mature sons of God, redeemed from the Earth (Revelations 14).

Regarding Hell- yes it was originally intended for Satan and his minions. But eventually, they and Hell will be cast in the Lake of Fire, along with all of its inhabitants. (Revelations 20:10).

Long answer, but you asked an interesting question.

This is a phenomenal answer/description/explanation. Do you mind if I copy it and paste it to a Word document?

 

[herelisasendme]

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."

So, here's my problem.. Hell was designed to punish Satan, right? How did Satan get the powers to become the snake? God cursed snakes.. into a new transformation. Satan doesn't control hell, as i understand it.. he'll be tortured once this world stops, right?

That is very good question. Here is the thing, Satan didn't took the form of a serpent, instead Satan use the serpent to deceived Eve, that is why God cursed the serpent; Satan was already condemn.

 

[audiologic]

A couple of ground rules to follow in this discussion.

First, There is no doubt that Satan is a spiritual entity. Therefore, we know the “serpent” was a spirit.

And second, God is a spirit, and we know He created a vast universe of spiritual beings. I have no reason to doubt there could be as many different species or types of spiritual beings like there are different species on Earth. Perhaps even more.

In Genesis 3, the serpent was numbered among the cattle. "Cattle" as we know it are bovine animals that do little more than eat, poop and destroy the ozone by their production of... Ahem, a natural and potential renewable energy source.:o But cattle could have another meaning as an adjective, as opposed to a noun. The word "cattle" is not limited to a cow. It can be used to describe a class of entities, based on their behavior.

The word “cattle” is related to the word “herd”. A herd refers to large numbers of beasts that hang out in large groups, scattered all over the face of creation.

Based only on what Genesis 3 says, the serpent was the most subtle of all the beasts of the field. The words “beasts” and “field” can also be applied in the spiritual sense as well. Beasts could refer to animalistic or wild creatures (demons). The serpent wasn’t necessarily the strongest, but he was the smartest and the most cunning. When you look at gangs or organized crime, the leaders aren’t usually the strongest physically. They’re the smartest and most ambitious of the group, and they know how to manipulate people.

Genesis 3 is the part where God curses/anoints the serpent an insatiable appetite to consume the carnality and flesh of mankind. Our bodies were formed out of the dust, and so it is the devil's desire to ensure it returns to the dust (death). Our bodies are carnal, and so the more we yield to the desires of the flesh, the more we give in to the works of Satan and make us vulnerable to him. In the garden, Adam and Eve had no fear of the serpent prior to Genesis 4.

Jesus said in John 14:30- “... for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Why? Because Jesus didn’t walk after the flesh. He followed after the Spirit. Satan didn’t have any rights to attack or harm Jesus. And if we follow after the Spirit, we won’t sin either, and Satan would have no power over us as well.

Romans 8:[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit...[4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The curse of God fell on the whole Earth and all of its inhabitants, including the animals. So God didn’t just curse physical snakes. He cursed the entire animal kingdom and the ground we walk on. The “creature”, referred to in Romans 8 (below), refers to God’s physical creation. That all of creation is awaiting the redemption of our bodies and the restoration of the kingdom of God on Earth (as it is in heaven). Remember the Lord’s prayer?

Romans 8:[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

There’s an end to all of this, and it will happen following the 2nd coming of Christ as stated in the Book of Revelations, and it involves God having fully mature sons of God, redeemed from the Earth (Revelations 14).

Regarding Hell- yes it was originally intended for Satan and his minions. But eventually, they and Hell will be cast in the Lake of Fire, along with all of its inhabitants. (Revelations 20:10).

Long answer, but you asked an interesting question.

Good answer. Summed up, from what I can gather, I agree. We often have a tendency to take things at face value, or to fail to read between the lines. I take more of the Bible metaphorically than most of the Christians I know (for instance, I don't think the world was literally made in six days; if anything, it implies the timelessness that God possesses, since the world of science claims that the Earth is so old). I'm also familiar with Kabbalah and the mathematical equations related to it; when the OT documents the age of certain people, I don't take it literally. I don't think Methuselah really lived to be 969, but rather, there is a significance hidden within the number.

I'm also not here to debate on those topics, but I WILL say that's it's the "moral of the story" that counts. The snake is generally regarded as a sneaky, creepy, sly little creature - much like Satan. Yet some (including myself) see them as beautiful creatures. It's generally not the material item itself that does good or bad, but the intent, power, meaning behind it. A wooden cross in and of itself doesn't hold the power of Christ, but a believer using it in a ritual (or wearing it for personal empowerment) can connect with God through the imagery. I do think certain things can essentially contain residues..for instance, I guarantee you if I walked into a room where ritualistic, evil-dominated sacrifice had taken place, I would feel heavy, disturbed, etc. It also depends on the openness of the individual to an extent, too...then again, I'm off topic.

I think you get my drift though.

 

[Bobinator]

This is a phenomenal answer/description/explanation. Do you mind if I copy it and paste it to a Word document?

I'm flattered and humbled at the same time. I wish I could provide a better write up, but it's difficult with any internet forum. But sure you can use it. There's more to all this to paint a more complete picture, but I hope you can use it.

 

[Bobinator]

Good answer. Summed up, from what I can gather, I agree. We often have a tendency to take things at face value, or to fail to read between the lines. I take more of the Bible metaphorically than most of the Christians I know (for instance, I don't think the world was literally made in six days; if anything, it implies the timelessness that God possesses, since the world of science claims that the Earth is so old). I'm also familiar with Kabbalah and the mathematical equations related to it; when the OT documents the age of certain people, I don't take it literally. I don't think Methuselah really lived to be 969, but rather, there is a significance hidden within the number.

I'm also not here to debate on those topics, but I WILL say that's it's the "moral of the story" that counts. The snake is generally regarded as a sneaky, creepy, sly little creature - much like Satan. Yet some (including myself) see them as beautiful creatures. It's generally not the material item itself that does good or bad, but the intent, power, meaning behind it. A wooden cross in and of itself doesn't hold the power of Christ, but a believer using it in a ritual (or wearing it for personal empowerment) can connect with God through the imagery. I do think certain things can essentially contain residues..for instance, I guarantee you if I walked into a room where ritualistic, evil-dominated sacrifice had taken place, I would feel heavy, disturbed, etc. It also depends on the openness of the individual to an extent, too...then again, I'm off topic.

I think you get my drift though.

Any way you look at it, creating this vast universe was an incredible feat, too much to comprehend, whether it took six literal days or six million years. Creating something out of nothing is impossible, according to the Laws of Physics. So, it's not any harder to believe it took place in six literal days. The Bible mentions the passing of a day and a night to account for days in Genesis. So I take the position the Lord meant six literal days.

 

[audiologic]

Any way you look at it, creating this vast universe was an incredible feat, too much to comprehend, whether it took six literal days or six million years. Creating something out of nothing is impossible, according to the Laws of Physics. So, it's not any harder to believe it took place in six literal days. The Bible mentions the passing of a day and a night to account for days in Genesis. So I take the position the Lord meant six literal days.

I don't see anything wrong with your view, either. And I agree. Both you and I believe what we believe, and BOTH of our views humble us in the light of God's Power.

I can see your position on "the beginning", too. Here's my perspective:

The First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

I don't think this universe has been around eternally. However, even science claims that eternity is necessary for this law to function. To me, that reveals God Himself - He created the universe and its laws; and even its laws reveal that eternity MUST exist. However, modern science also tends to claim that there was a "Big Bang", or...the beginning. So what about before that? If energy can only be transformed, what was there before Earth and Venus and the Sun and so forth?

God.

Which can open up a whole different debate on other realities, previous creations, etc, none of which can be verified. Plus it all doesn't matter; what matters is we know God and what He is doing now.

 

[mog144]

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."

So, here's my problem.. Hell was designed to punish Satan, right? How did Satan get the powers to become the snake? God cursed snakes.. into a new transformation. Satan doesn't control hell, as i understand it.. he'll be tortured once this world stops, right?

First, you must get the metaphors defined before moving forward. Genesis is mostly metaphoric language. The words have parallel identities, such as you stated the 'livestock', and this is from revised translations. The original metaphors are essential in rightly dividing the Word and when somebody replaces them with words to fit their own ideas then it draws wrong conclusions.

There's too much to address here because of the metaphors, and there are plenty. I'll interpret in a nutshell, the beasts, cattle, etc, all represent various ranks in human statures as God sees them, and the devil was cursed also and did amalgamate into man also when the spirits became flesh. The basic idea is that satan lives on in human hosts, and he lives by spirit which is spoken from mouth to mouth. If the Truth was to suddenly prevail the devil would immediately go into the Abyss

The Abyss is the lowest level of rank in the entire universe, and this is where man is right now. The male has been cast down into the Abyss, aka the 'dog house' and he has been trodden by satan and his spiritual 'Eve' who came in as the False Prophet (19th century Adventism).

The snake may have been literal then but the satan was cursed into something else after he was a snake, and this is the point to note. God cursed the serpent but he did not become a literal snake as we know it. You should know that God refers to contemptible men as beasts, and other creatures such as cattle, etc. The various animal types depict various gender and rankings in society.

This is how satan was cast down to earth, when he too was then morphed into human form but of a contemptible temperament. The metaphors are strong and must be rightly known by using the original texts. The Glorified man, Adam fell and became like a beast, knowing good and evil. This is when the spirit of satan possessed Adam and he did change.

Hell is the Abyss, where the soul or spirit is locked in and cannot escape without God's intervention. The male will be freed from the Abyss (dog house) and be replaced by satan, and his army will remain there who were never resurrected the second time.

There's a lot more to say but I gotta go now.

God bless.