Who Or What Is the

AZAZEL Goat?

In the days of the Tabernacle and Temple, the J ews once a year on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atoneme nt took two goats -- one for the Lord, and one for "Azazel" -- the first goat was sacrificed, and the secon d goat carried the sins of the people into the wilderness led away by a "fit man" to perish in the desert. What was th is second goat, or "Azazel" goat, symbolical of -- what d id it represent? Was it a type of Christ? Was it a type of the enemy of mankind, Satan the devil? Controversy rages over this seemingly innocuous question. What i s the plain TRUTH? Here is new information never bef ore put together to reveal the incredible saga of t he mystery of the "scapegoat" -- or Azazel!

William F. Dankenbring

In the book of Leviticus we read of an intriguing ceremony which was pe rformed every year on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, in ancient Israel. G od commanded the people of Israel, "From the Israelite community he [the high pr iest] is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offerin g. . . Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to CAST LOTS for the two goats -- one lo t for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whos e lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chose n by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used fo r making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat . . .

"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people a nd take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's bl ood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this w ay he will MAKE ATONEMENT for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. . . .

"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Ten of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to la y both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites -- all their sins -- and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appoint ed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a SOLITARY PLA CE; and the man shall release it in the desert" (Lev.16:5-22).

What is this mysterious "scapegoat" that carries the sins of all the pe ople into the desert? What does this strange ceremony symbolize and foretell?

All commentators are agreed that the first goat, which is sacrificed fo r a sin offering, whose blood is sprinkled over the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, represents Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who was slain for the sins of the world. John the Baptist looked upon Jesus, and declared to his disciples, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jo hn 1:29). The apostle Paul wrote of Christ, our High Priest, "Such a high pri est meets our need -- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to o ffer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins ONCE FOR ALL when he offered himself" (Heb.7:26-27).

Paul explained further, "When Christ came as high priest of the good th ings that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect taberna cle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did n ot enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place ONCE FOR ALL BY HIS OWN BLOOD, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb.9 :11-12).

As Paul wrote, "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in G od's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the wa y the high priest enters the Most Holy Place ever year with blood that is not hi s own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of th e world. But now he has appeared ONCE FOR ALL at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sin s of many people; and he will appear a second time, NOT TO BEAR SIN, but to brin g salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb.9:24-28).

Notice! Jesus gave His life for our sins ONCE and for all time. His s acrifice COMPLETELY paid the penalty of our sins. This awesome event is portray ed by the first of the two goats, the one whose lot fell "to the LORD," the goat that was sacrificed by the high priest as a SIN offering for the people! As Pa ul explains to the Corinthians, "God made him who had no sin to BE SIN for us, s o that in HIM we might become the righteousness of God" (II Cor.5:21).

Therefore, this first goat which was offered on the Day of Atonement ev ery year, pictured to perfection the unique sacrifice of Jesus Christ who laid d own His life for our sins, as our "sin offering." Jesus is also the "Passover L amb" who was slain for us, that our sins might be covered by His blood, and we m ight be forgiven, and have peace and reconciliation with God. "For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed" (I Cor.5:7).

Why then, in the ancient yearly ceremony on the Day of Atonement, was t here the unique feature of a SECOND GOAT -- one not "for the LORD," but for "Aza zel"? The sacrifice of Jesus Christ PERFECTLY satisfied the requirement and sym bolism of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There would have been no need whatsoev er for a second, additional goat to also represent Christ in His capacity as our "sin bearer." The first goat, who was SLAIN for our sins, fulfills this symbol ism PERFECTLY! What, then, does this second goat really represent?

Let's understand!

The "Azazel" Goat

Peake's Commentary on the Bible asserts, "Having thus isolated the sin of the people from all holy things, Aaron now proceeds to get rid of their sin altogether. He puts both hands on the head of the live goat, recites over it al l the sins of the people of Israel and thus transfers their sins to the goat. T he goat is then sent away and is lost in the wilderness. There was a man waitin g in order to follow the goat and see that it was successfully lost. In the tim e of the Second Temple this man was usually a non-Israelite" (p.248).

This Commentary continues:

"According to Hebrew tradition, as preserved in the Mishnah, Yoma vi, 8, the goat was driven to a rocky terr ace twelve miles east of Jerusalem, identified as the modern Be t Hudedun, and was driven over these jagged rocks to perish o

ver this precipice . . . G. R. Driver, 'Three Technical Terms in the Pentateuch,' . . . shows that the 11th century Jewish commentato r Rashi was right when he understood AZAZEL to refer to the pla ce to which the goat was sent. It means, 'jagged rocks, pre cipice,' and only later did the word come to refer to a desert demon . . . the Rabbis were very clear that the goat was in no sense a g ift to Azazel. Rabbi Eliezer declared that the goat was not a gif t to Semjaza (Sammael), the chief of the Fallen Angels, nor a bribe to him not to make their offerings void or falsely to accuse Israel. It was not a sacrifice since it was not slaughtered. It was SENT A WAY BY GOD'S COMMAND. God chooses the goat that is sent away to Azazel. Plainly and simply God himself is providing a means of getting rid of Israel's sin" (p.248-249).

Notice carefully! This second goat was NOT A SACRIFICE! Therefore, it could NOT picture Jesus Christ, who as a sacrifice paid the penalty for all our sins. Secondly, this second goat was "sent away" to the desert by the COMMAND of GOD! Christ was never sent away to the desert, carrying our sins to the remo te wilderness. This pictures some other altogether different event!

Notice once more: This second goat is chosen "by lot," as is the first goat. That is, God Himself choses which goat will represent Christ as our Savi our and Redeemer, and which goat will represent this other symbolism -- the "Aza zel."

The very name "Azazel" itself is very significant. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible points out that this term literally means "GOAT OF DEP ARTURE." It comes from two roots: aze, "a she goat (as strong)," and azal, aw-z

al -- "a primitive root, to GO AWAY, hence to DISAPPEAR, fail, gad about, go to and fro, BE GONE, SPENT."

This the term "scapegoat" in the English is an unfortunate translation and does not really convey the true meaning of the original Hebrew word "Azazel. " Says the Companion Bible on this word, "Heb. for Azazel. This 'for' looks li ke a personality answering to 'for Jehovah.' If it be the Evil one who is meant , then it is for his defiance." This goat was sent into the "wilderness." Says the Companion Bible, "wilderness, or desert, symbol of ABODE OF ALL EVIL THINGS . . . Azazel probably the personification of all that is 'great and terrible' t here."

The desert, figuratively, is a type of the abode of the devil and his d emons, or fallen angels. Isaiah 13:21-22 describes the desert, "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there . . . doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell the re, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and DRAGONS in their pleasant palaces . . ." The term "dragon" is also used to refer to Satan the devil, "that old dragon" (Rev.12:9) . The desert is a type of the abode of Satan and his demons (Isa.34:14). Jesus Christ said, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through ARID PLAC ES SEEKING REST and does not find it" (Matt.12:43). A man Jesus encountered, fi lled with demons, "abode in the tombs" (Luke 8:27).

Concerning "Azazel," The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible states: "The scapegoat dispatched on the Day of Atonement is described as being consigned 'to/for Azazel.' There are three principal interpretations of this term: a) It characterizes the animal itself, and stands for . . . 'goat that departs' -- i.e. (e)scape-goat. This is t he view of the LXX (vs.8, 10; vs.26) . . . A variation of it connects the wor d rather with Arabic 'azala,' 'banish, remove,' though the formation would then be unusual b) It denotes the place to which the animal was dispatched. This i s the view of most of the rabbinic exegetes . . . 'azaz,' 'a rugged c liff.' Some have sought to support it by connecting the name with Arabic 'azza' in the sense of 'be rugged,' and thus identifying it with t he Beth Huddudo, 'sharp place,' named in Yom.6.8 and Targ.Ps.Jon. on Lev.

16:21 as the destination of the scapegoat. This, in turn, is the Dudael 'in the desert' to which Azazel is consigned in Enoch 10:4. c) It is the name of a demon inhabiting the desert. This view is adopted by most modern commentators, and is anticipated in Enoch, where Azazel appears as a RINGLEADER OF THE REBEL ANGELS, who seduces mankind . . ." (p.325-326).

Similarly, A Dictionary of the Bible by James Hastings, says: "Azazel. The name of the SPIRIT supposed to have its abode in t he wilderness, to whom, on the Day of Atonement, the goat laden wi th the sins of the people was sent. Azazel is not mentioned elsew here is OT; but the name occurs in the Book of Enoch (2nd century B. C.) as that of the LEADER OF THE EVIL ANGELS, who formed unions with the daughters of men, and (as the legend is develo ped in the Book of Enoch), taught them various arts, and whose offspr ing the giants filled the earth with unrighteousness and blood. O n account of the wickedness wrought by Azazel upon earth, the four arc hangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael, are represented as IMP EACHING HIM BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY, who thereupon bids Raphael bind him hand and foot, and secure him, under 'rough and jagged r ocks,' at a place in the desert called 'Dudael,' until on 'the great d ay of judgment' he is to be cast into the fire" . . . there can be little doubt that the cere-

monial was intended as a symbolical declaration that the la nd and people are now purged from guilt, their sins being handed over to the EVIL SPIRIT to whom they are held to belong, and whose home is in the desolate wilderness, remote from human habitations (v.22, 'into a land cut off'). . . ." (volume 1, p.207).

"The Goat That Disappears"

Unger's Bible Dictionary says the term "Azazel" means "an entire remova l." The word "Azazel" occurs four times in the Bible, all in Leviticus 16 (vers es 8, 10, 26). The spelling in the Massoretic text indicates the word is a comb ination of two root words meaning "goat" and "disappear." Hence, the term itsel f means "The Goat that Disappears."

The whole ceremony of the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel revolved a round the two goats -- one, "La Yahveh," "for the LORD," and the other one, "La Azazel," "for Azazel." It seems clear that these two goats were to serve two di fferent purposes. The one "for the LORD" was symbolical of the sacrifice for si ns performed by Jesus Christ giving His life for us. But the other goat, "for A zazel," was not sacrificed; it was banished into the wilderness, the region of t he devil and his demons, with the sins of the people placed upon his head. This goat stood for "Azazel," and was termed "the Azazel goat." It bore the name "A zazel," and therefore was a type or representation of that wicked spirit being w ho lead the world into rebellion -- the original architect of sin and wickedness , Satan the devil!

On the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel, after the high priest had th rust his hands into an urn containing the two lots, he laid one on the head of e ach goat. The high priest then tied a tongue-shaped piece of scarlet cloth to t he horn of the goat for Azazel, and another around the throat of the goat for Ya hveh. The high priest now lay his hands on the remaining live goat, and confess ed the sins of the people and the nation, intreating God's mercy on His people f or their inquities, transgressions, and sins. And while the prostrate multitude worshipped, the high priest turned his face towards them as he uttered the last words, "You shall be cleansed."

Then a strange scene would be witnessed. The priests led the sin-burde ned goat out through 'Solomon's Porch,' and, as tradition has it, through the ea stern gate, which opened upon the Mount of Olives. Here an arched bridge spanned the intervening valley, and over it they brought the goat to the Mount of Olive s, where one, especially appointed for the purpose, took him in charge. Traditi on says that he should be a stranger, a non-Israelite. The Scriptures say that

this goat is to be taken into the wilderness "by the hand of a fit man." At the edge of the wilderness, they halted, viewing afar off, while the "fit man" led the goat forward, tore off the scarlet ribbon, and then, leading the animal back wards, he pushed it over the edge of a cliff. Says the Mishnah, "He then pushed it over backward, and it rolled down the ravine. And it did not reach halfway d own the mountain before it broke into pieces" (Yoma 6:6, p.275).

The arrival of the goat at the edge of the wilderness was immediately t elegraphed by the waving of flags to the people and the priests back in the Temp le precincts.

Thus this goat will finally carry the sins of the people, and be banish ed into the wilderness. Is this really a picture of the fate of Satan the devil ?

The Book of Enoch

In the Book of Enoch, written in its final form in the second century b efore Christ, one of the apocalyptic books of Jewish literature, and a book quot ed by the apostle Jude (Jude 14), we read more about the sin of the angels and t heir rebellion against God. In this book the evil angel who led the rebellion - whom we call Satan, or the devil -- is identified as none other than "Azazel"!

Notice!

"And AZAZEL taught the people (the art of) making swords and knives, and shields, and breastplates; and he showed to their chosen ones bracelets, decorations (shadowing of the eyes ) with antimony, ornamentation, the beautifying of the eyelids, all kinds of precious stones, and all coloring tinctures and alch emy. And there were many wicked ones and they commited adultery and erred, and all their conduct became CORRUPT . . . . And the people cried and their voice reached unto heaven . . .

"Then Michael, Surafel, and Gabriel observed carefully from the sky and they saw much blood being shed upon the eart h. . . . And they said to the Lord of the potentates, for he is L ord of lords, and the God of gods, and the King of kings . . . 'Every thing is naked and open before your sight, and you see everything; and there is nothing which can hide itself from you. YOU SEE W HAT AZAZEL HAS DONE, how he has taught all forms of op pression upon the earth. And they revealed eternal secret s which are performed in heaven and which man learned. . . .

"And then spoke the Most High, the Great and Holy One! And he sent Asuryal to the son of Lamech saying, 'Tell him in my name, "Hide yourself!" and reveal to him the end of what i s coming; for the earth and everything will be destroyed. And the Delu ge is about to come upon all the earth; and all that is in it will be destroyed. And now instruct him in order that he may FLEE, and his seed will be preserved for all generations.' And secondly the Lord sa id to Raphael, 'BIND AZAZEL HAND AND FOOT and THROW HIM INTO THE DARKNESS!' And he made a hole in the desert wh ich is in Dudael and CAST him there; he threw on top of him jag ged and sharp rocks. And he covered his face in order that he may n ot see light, and in order

that HE MAY BE SENT INTO THE FIRE ON THE GREA T DAY OF JUDGMENT" (Book of Enoch, 8:1-10:7).

Although the book of Enoch is not considered Scripture, and the present version has no doubt suffered corruption, there is little doubt that the origin al text and manuscript goes back to the time of Enoch and before the Flood of No ah. This book was quoted by the apostle Jude, who says, "Enoch, the seventh fro m Adam, prophesied about these men: 'See, the Lord is coming with thousands upo n thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly o f all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh w ords ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14-15).

Since Jude quotes from the book of Enoch, I find no reason why we canno t do so, today, if we are careful and judicious in its use and intepretation. T his passage about the sins of the angels, and the naming of AZAZEL as the instig ator of the angelic rebellion, and the one who led mankind into corruption, viol ence and wickedness, before the Deluge, parallels perfectly with the Scriptures, which tell us that it was Satan, the devil, who seduced and deceived Eve in the garden of Eden, and led mankind into rebellion against God.

The Devil's Part in All Our Sins

The apostle John writes of Satan the devil, "And there was WAR in heave n. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his ang els fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in hea ven. The GREAT DRAGON was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the evil, or Satan, who LEADS THE WHOLE WORLD ASTRAY. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him" (Rev.12:7-9).

Satan is the "god of this world" (II Cor.4:4), the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph.2:2). He is the chief architect of all evil, wickedness, and violence. He is the author of confusion, the instigator of rebellion, the Origi nator of Apostasy!

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, said to the wicked religious leaders of His day, the Sadducees and Pharisees, who had plunged into apostasy and rejected the very Saviour Himself,

"You belong to your father, the DEVIL, and you want to carry out your father's desire. HE WAS A MURDERER fr om the

beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he LIES, he speaks his native language, fo r he is a LIAR and the FATHER OF LIES" (John 8:44).

Through his cunning, subtlety and craftiness, the devil has deceived an d pulled the wool over the eyes of ALL NATIONS. The entire world has turned awa y from the way of God because of the powerful delusions and deceptions of the de vil. As Paul wrote of the Church of his day, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was DECEIVED BY THE SERPENT'S CUNNING, your minds may somehow be LED ASTRAY from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and prea ches a Jesus OTHER than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spi rit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, YOU PUT UP WITH IT EASILY ENOUGH" (II Cor.11:3-4).

Satan has filled the earth with HIS churches, HIS denominations, HIS cu lts and sects -- one for every personality or inclination. As Paul warns, "For such men are FALSE APOSTLES, DECEITFUL workmen, masquerading as apostles of Chri st. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is n ot surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. T heir end will be what their actions deserve" (II Cor.11:13-15).

The Day of Atonement, then, pictures not only the pure cleansing and co mplete atonement God made for the sins of the world, through the Sacrifice of Je sus Christ, but it also has a DUAL meaning and significance -- it also pictures the final JUDGMENT ON SATAN and HIS ANGELS for their part in the wickedness and evil that has occurred in the world, under their wicked sway and influence! As the High Priest put both his hands on the head of the "live goat," and confessed all the sins of the people, putting them on that goat, it symbolized SATAN or A ZAZEL receiving full responsibility and blame for HIS EVIL ROLE as the instigato r and originator of Rebellion and Sin in the Universe! And just as the Day of A tonement pictures, his punishment will not linger. It is sure!

The Book of Enoch describes to some degree the punishment that will com e upon Azazel, or Satan. The Scriptures also corroborate the FATE of Satan, and add much more detail than the book of Enoch gives. Notice!

The Great Abyss

Speaking of the time of the second coming of Christ, we read that after Jesus and His angels put down rebellion around the earth, and destroy the armie s that come against Jerusalem in a final "Armageddon," and throws the evil leade r of the world into the lake of fire (Rev.19:11-20), another strange event will take place -- an event pictured and foreshadowed by the ceremony of the Azazel g

oat on the Day of Atonement!

Notice!

"And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Ab yss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the DRAGON, that ancient S ERPENT, who is the DEVIL or SATAN, and bound him for a thousand years. He THREW him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from DECEIVI NG THE NATIONS ANYMORE until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. . . .

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his PRIS ON and will go out to DECEIVE the nations in the four corners of the earth -- Go g and Magog -- to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand of t he seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's pe ople, the city he loves. But FIRE came down from heaven and devoured them. And the DEVIL, who deceived them, was THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF BURNING SULPHUR, wher e the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day a nd night for ever and ever" (Rev.20:1-10).

In this lake of fire, Satan the devil will finally PERISH. He and his demons will be consumed away into nothingness. Paul writes of the devil's fate, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Christ] too shared in their human ity so that by his death he might DESTROY HIM who holds the power of death -- th at is, the DEVIL" (Heb.2:14). The Greek word here is kartageo and means to "abo lish, annul, destroy." It is the same word used in II Thessalonians 1, where Paul writes, "This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in bl azing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish them who do not know God an d do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with EVERLAST ING DESTRUCTION (kartageo)" (II Thess.1:7-9).

The lake of fire is actually designed for Satan and his wicked demons. Jesus said in the parable of the sheep and the goats, that the goats - who symb olize the wicked -- will go into eternal, age-lasting fire! His words were, "Th en he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into t he eternal [aionian, "age-lasting"] fire PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS" (Matt.25:41).

This fire,of course, will not burn forever -- but its results and effec ts will be everlasting, PERMANENT! None will survive it. None will be resurre cted from it. Just as God says Sodom and Gomorrah "serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7) -- the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah is not still burning like a raging inferno at the southern an d western region of the Dead Sea, today, where those cities once stood. However , the effect of that horrendous holocaust is still evident today -- Sodom and Go morrah are still destroyed, a wasteland.

Satan's Awesome Fate

The Scriptures say, "The wages of sin is DEATH" (Rom.6:23). That appli es to the sin of angels as well as the sins of man. There is not a different pe nalty for angels. They, too, will DIE -- be destroyed -- because of their wicke dness! God is Creator, and the Creator is greater than the created objects He m akes and fashions. If He chooses, He can destroy any part of His creation that He decides to destroy. Just as if you build a house, but then don't like the wa y the house turned out, you can demolish it -- either take a bull-dozer to it, a nd raze it to the ground, or burn it to the ground. Even so, God Almighty is pe rfectly able to destroy the devil and his demons, when the day of final retribut ion and judgment comes!

The demons know their fate. That is why they are so terror-stricken wh en they comtemplate it. When Jesus approached a man with a demon, the demon cri ed out to Him, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to D ESTROY US? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24). The Gree k word for "destroy" here is APOLLUMI, and means literally, "TO DESTROY FULLY, PERISH, DIE."

A clue to the fate of the demons is found in the 82nd Psalm. The Psalm ist David writes, "I have taken you for DIVINE BEINGS, sons of the Most High, al l of you; BUT you shall DIE as men do, fall like any prince" (Psa.82:6-7). The Moffatt translation renders this verse with an unusual interpretation, translati ng "prince" as "demon" -- as the demons are regarded in the Scriptures as "princ es" of the darkness. Paul writes, "For our struggle is not against flesh and bl ood, but against the RULERS, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ep h.6:12). Says Moffatt: "Or, I say, though you are gods, all sons of the Most H igh, yet, like mere men, you shall die, you shall PERISH LIKE A DEMON" (Psalm 82 :6-7).

The Final End of Azazel-Satan

In the book of Ezekiel, God describes the final fate of Azazel, or Sata n. God Almighty says of this once celestial being, formerly known as Lucifer, " shining star of the dawn,"

"You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mounting

s were made of gold; on the day you were CREATED they were prepared. You were anointed as a GUARDIAN CHERUB, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were BLAMELESS in your ways from the day you were CREATED TILL WICKEDNESS was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with VIOLENCE, and you SINNED. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I EXPELLED you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart beca me PROUD on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor, so I THREW you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many SINS and dishone st trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a FIRE come out from you, and it CONSUMED YOU, and I reduced you to ASHES on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a HORRIBLE END and will be NO MORE" (Ezek.28:12-19).

Peter describes that awesome day when the devil will be destroyed, and the very elements of the heavens will blaze and be consumed, and God will create d a NEW heavens and a NEW earth wherein only righteousness will dwell or exist!

Peter writes "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heav ens will disappear with a ROAR; the elements will be DESTROYED by FIRE, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroye d in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That da y will bring about the DESTRUCTION OF THE HEAVENS BY FIRE, and the ELEMENTS WILL MELT IN THE HEAT. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH, the home of righteousness" (II Pet.3:10-13).

The very heavens and galaxies will be destroyed by "fire." The very el ements that comprise the Universe and every object in it, will "melt." The whol e Universe will implode in a super-fiery ball of heat and incredible energy, lik e one gigantic "black hole" or "neutron star." In this fiery age-ending Holocau st, the devil and his angels will also PERISH and be DESTROYED! They, along wit h all the wicked, will be reduced to nothing -- the equivalent of random atoms a nd molecules or sub-atomic particles. Not even two atoms will cleave together in a molecular "element."

At that fiery judgment, the great Destroyer himself will be destroyed.

But, brethren, we the people of God look forward to a NEW heavens and a NEW earth, where no wickedness will exist -- where there will be therefore no e vil, no Satan, no demons, no wickedness of any kind.

Let us look forward with eager hearts and thrilling excitement and anti cipation of that great and glorious time! Let us pray more fervently, to God ou r Father,

"Thy Kingdom Come!"