What is Satan's Fate?
Argument VII
Destroying the Devil
QUESTION:
When God told Lucifer that he was going to be totally destroyed because of his rebellion, doesn’t that mean Satan will ultimately be killed?
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One of the most popular arguments advanced by those who believe Satan will die, is that God prophesied that he would be “destroyed” for his rebellion (Ezk. 28:16). They then conclude that the term “destroy” must mean “kill” because the original Hebrew renders it as “perish.”
Here is how that opinion was expressed in a popular booklet supporting the belief that Satan’s fate is complete eradication. In it, the author(s) present three passages as proof of their view. Each is presented independently followed by my response.
Proof #1
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
In another case, during the history of the Old Covenant, God addressed the king of Tyre. As He did so, God’s words shift to focus on a being much greater than the human king. God actually begins to speak to the devil. It is he who was the real power behind the throne (Mat. 4:8-9). For this reason, the Almighty speaks directly to him, stating:
(Ezekiel 28:14-16).
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire
The Advocates of his New Doctrine continue:
In this verse, the Hebrew word for “destroy” is “âbad.” While in some cases, the word can refer to the act of being removed, other Scriptures show that the word is frequently translated as “perish” or “destroy” (i.e. Num. 17:12; Deut. 11:4). When speaking figuratively, Strong’s Concordance explains that the word always means “perish.” Certainly these verses are figurative. They are prophetic and speak in symbolic language. Therefore, these verses reveal that the devil will eventually perish.
My Response:
Although the author(s) of this booklet correctly render “abad” as “perish,” they neglect to explain what that word means in the context of Ezekiel’s prophecy. In truth, two pronouncements concerning Satan’s fate are being made and neither one is saying that he will die. The first pronouncement pertains to his position within God’s government. The second relates to the unfettered access he had to God’s domain. First, consider his position and the role he played.
The “Anointed Cherub that Covers”
God’s Church has always understood that the archangel Lucifer once held a position of great distinction in the third heaven. He actually served in the very command center of the universe. Furthermore, God Himself personally “set him” in that position and “anointed” him to it (Ezk. 28:14). At this point it is important to understand that when the Almighty referred to him as “the anointed cherub that covers,” He was not simply being poetic—and the scriptures bear this out. In the twenty-fifth chapter of Exodus, God provides Moses with specifications for building the Ark of the Covenant. Included in these specifications were instructions to make two cherubim of gold and place them on each side of the mercy seat (Ex. 25:18). The mercy seat was a symbol of God’s throne. Additionally, God instructed Moses to have the wings of these magnificent creatures spread in order to provide a covering for it (verse 20). This image reflects the very spot where Lucifer once served. The honor and dignity of such a position is almost too great to imagine—and Lucifer lived it.
Unfortunately, this great cherub would be stripped of his position because of his rebellion against God and His moral authority. When the Almighty declared that He would “cast him out of the MOUNTAIN of God,” He was announcing that Lucifer (now Satan) was being impeached from the esteemed office he held in God’s government. It is not by accident that the word “mountain” is used extensively in the scriptures as a symbol of a government (See: Dan.2:35, Micah 4:1, Zach. 8:3).
A Second Pronouncement
God then declared that Satan was to be “destroyed from the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:16). The “stones of fire” are part of a literal place within God’s realm. In all likelihood they are a part of a heavenly Eden, the garden of God (verse 13). Furthermore, it is clear that Lucifer had direct access to this place (verse 14). However, his rebellion would change everything. Not only would he be stripped of his position and authority (the first pronouncement) but also his citizenship—and all the privileges that come with it. In other words, Satan was being exiled (banished) from God’s Kingdom altogether.
At this point it is important to understand that God was NOT telling Satan that He was going to destroy him from a state of being, but rather from an ACTUAL PLACE—the “stones of fire.” Furthermore, God kept His word explicitly. When speaking to His disciples about the power they had in casting out demons, Jesus revealed that He was an eyewitness to Satan’s excommunication (destruction) from God’s Kingdom. Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall as lightening from heaven” (Lk. 10:18). Notice that Jesus did NOT say He saw Satan killed—or even sentenced to die. Nor was He giving His disciples the power to kill demons. In truth, Jesus gave His disciples the power to do exactly what God said He would do to Satan and his demons—CAST THEM OUT. The point here is that Satan was not executed because of his sin, but, he was “destroyed.” His access to the God’s Kingdom perished, just as his Creator had decreed. However, because of his composition as an incorruptible spirit being, his existence would remain forever (Lk. 20:36, Rev. 20:10, Jude 13).
A Case from the New Testament
The author(s) of this booklet then attempt to offer “evidence” from the New Testament supporting their belief that Satan’s ultimate fate is total extinction. This was done by explaining the meaning of the NT term “destroy.” Notice how they attempt to make this point followed by my response.
Proof #2
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
When this subject is explored in the New Testament, the same conclusion is reached. Consider an example found in the book of Hebrews. There the author writes:
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the DEVIL (Hebrews 2:14).
The author of this epistle clearly and powerfully states that Christ will destroy the devil,
My Response:
Contrary to this assertion, Paul is not stating that Satan will die, but rather that his ability (“power”) will become inoperable. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “destroy” in this verse comes from the Greek Katargao which has a primary meaning of: “to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative, to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency, to deprive of force, influence, power” (Strong’s G2673).
Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words adds even greater insight into the use of this term. It states that the word Katargao, when literally translated means "to reduce to inactivity" (kata, "down," argos, "inactive").” Vines go on to explain that this term does NOT mean the “loss of being, but [rather] the loss of well being.”
This now brings us to the third scripture employed in this booklet. Here, the authors contend that even the demon world is aware that they are going to be executed. Notice how they express this view.
Proof #3
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24).
In this verse the demons use the term “destroy” when referring to their fate. This word is the very same one used in Matthew 10 where Jesus says that God can destroy both the spirit and the flesh. The word is “apollumi” in the Greek and means to “destroy fully, to perish, or to die.” Thus, the Bible repeatedly demonstrates this truth. God is fully capable, and intends, to eliminate both wicked humans and angelic spirits.
My Response:
Although some equate this term (apollymi) with death, this is not its only meaning. Strong’s Concordance also renders it: “to put out of the way entirely, to render useless, to devote or give over to eternal misery, to be lost, ruined.” Vines Dictionary defines it as follows: “a strengthened form of ollumi, signifying "to destroy utterly;" in Middle Voice, ‘to perish.’ The idea is not extinction but ruin...”
Additionally, the reference by these authors to Matthew 10 fails to take into account that Jesus was speaking to MORTAL human beings, not immortal spirit beings. For additional insight concerning this point see: Argument IV, “Killing the Soul.”
Finally, as much as some insist that Satan’s destruction means that he will die, God’s word says something quite different. When the devil was cast out of heaven he was not killed, but he was destroyed (Ezk. 28:16, Rev. 12:9). That destruction will continue when he is cast ALIVE into a bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3). It will culminate when he is cast ALIVE into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10) and ultimately into outer darkness (Jude 13). In each of these cases, his fate is not death but rather everlasting destruction (banishment) FROM a wonderful kingdom in which he once served.
A Final Thought
As much as some insist that Satan’s destruction means that he will die, God’s Word says something quite different. When the devil was cast out of heaven he was not killed, but he was destroyed (Ezekiel 28:16 Revelation 12:9). That destruction will continue when he is cast ALIVE into a great abyss (bottomless pit)(Revelation 20:1-3). It will culminate when he is cast ALIVE into a Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10) and ultimately into outer darkness (Jude 13). In each of these cases, his fate is not everlasting death but rather everlasting destruction (banishment) FROM a wonderful kingdom in which he once served.
Argument VIII