39. Lucifer's Revenge


39. Lucifer's Revenge



"Fear not, only be my vessel and I will speak through thy mouth words to deceive him."
—Apocalypse of Moses 16:5

The ASA often claims there was no connection between Satan and the serpent in the Garden of Eden until Christian sources in the 1st century AD.

But as you can see from the above quote, they've overlooked 2nd temple Judaism.

The following is the oldest text to identify the serpent in the garden with Satan:
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are allied with him experience it.
—Wisdom 2:24
In another Second Temple text, Satan sees the Messiah and say,

Truly this is the Messiah, who will bruise me.
—Pesikta Rabbati 3:6
Others describe the actual possession:
He took the serpent as a garment.
3 Baruch 9:7* 
Christianity confirmed Second Temple Judaism
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
—John 8:44
 The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.
—Revelation 12:9
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan....
—Revelation 20:2
In an upcoming post, we shall see that the connection between Satan and the prophecy recorded in Genesis 3:15 went back much further than Second Temple Judaism.

Swordcraft Tip: Highlight John 8:44 and Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 in your spiritual warfare color. Write the 2nd Temple Judaism quotes (including the references) in the margin of Genesis 3:15.

Which of the above second temple Judaism quotes about Satan and his connection to the snake in the garden did you find the most interesting? 
Share your thoughts on the 

*3 Baruch has some Christian interpolations but this quote is from the Slavonic version which is known to be Jewish.

Photo Credit: Creation Museum

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