The information below was personal research with conclusions sent to the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses back in 2010. I never received a reply to the questions and comments although I asked for clarification.
Some feel that Satan was Jealous of Jehovah (A name used for the Almighty) and wanted Adam and Eve to serve him and that they would be better off under his rule. The following information challenges that thought:
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Part of a letter sent:
What do you think it would be like to experience the light getting brighter? Certainly we would say we would have better understanding of spiritual things. However, what if we had a long held belief that something was correct but through much personal research, we came to a different conclusion by using our reasoning powers that Jehovah gave us? More research would probably be needed for further clarification. What if that different conclusion still was proved correct, in our eyes? Just because we think differently about a matter does not mean we are abandoning the truth nor does sharing the thoughts with others for clarification purposes indicate that. We would actually be doing a good thing by testing our faith. If we never tested our doubts, our faith would not be nearly as strong as it could be. Do you think Jehovah wants us to test any reasonable doubts that we may encounter in our personal study? What do you think Jehovah would want us to do with those different conclusions, if we strongly felt them to be true? This reminds me of the circumcision issue, in the first century. It took many years for this to be resolved, among the anointed brothers. Do you think that just because some disagreed within the faith, before the circumcision issue was resolved, that they were not worthy to be in the faith or that they might have wanted to draw others to themselves rather then to Jesus’ teachings or do you think they may have been weak in their faith? Until it was resolved, they simply had a firm yet respectful difference of opinion. I am sure some had strongly instilled beliefs due to what they were formally taught. Otherwise, it would have been resolved quickly. It was probably harder for some to understand then others and some were probably confused, for a time. But after awhile things became easier to understand. This is an example of the light getting brighter for them and it can be used as an example for us today. It can sometimes be confusing to learn something new, especially if it differs from what we were originally taught and had accepted as factual for many years. This is to be expected. Some will understand things faster then others. This is to be expected too and it does not indicate that someone is better then someone else. It just confirms that we are different although we are all in the joyful service of Jehovah!
Through the use of prayer, reasoning, and much research, I have come to conclusions that some of our current teachings are not Bible based. You may feel shocked right now but please keep in mind, that with the light getting brighter and brighter, it is inevitable that new understandings will be realized. Otherwise, the light would not get brighter. It is inevitable that some will be confused for a time. That is normal. Am I claiming that the information presented here is new light? No. But I firmly believe that it is helping the light that now exists to grow brighter. Therefore, I respectfully ask your assistance in testing our faith to prove what we are by carefully going over this information. May Jehovah bless all our efforts!
Dale Beckman, Jr.
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Although the following several series of questions seem very basic and the answers seem all too obvious to many, I challenge the validity of the commonly used current answers. The reason for this challenge is to come to a better understanding of the reasons the current teachings exist and to achieve a greater understanding of spiritual principles and other teachings. I believe that trying to understand these current reasons for certain answers along with Jehovah’s and Satan’s motives toward mankind will help us in this endeavor. Thoughts are placed below the following several series of questions to help in the reasoning process. Toward the end of the paper are concluding answers and a summary.
1. What is the basis for reasoning that Satan evidently wants humans to worship him rather then God?
2. What is the core reasoning in the thought that Satan challenged Jehovah’s sovereignty by saying that man would be better off without him? Where did this reasoning originate and how is it bible based?
3. What is the core reasoning in the thought that Satan questioned Jehovah’s right to rule? And what is this reasoning based upon?
4. What was the first lie about? And what was the knowledge of good and bad?
5. What is the basis for the reasoning that Satan charged God with lying and implied that Jehovah was unfair in not allowing Adam and Eve to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong?
6. What was the purpose for the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and bad?
7. What is the universal issue and what does it primarily involve?
Of the information below, some are facts and others are theories, and others are questions that are answered later on. However, I believe they help clarify bible truths concerning the sanctification of Jehovah’s name.
To open the thought process, I would like to submit the following facts, questions, and theories:
1. Angels are super-intelligent, when compared to humans.
2. Satan is known as a cunning manslayer. This proof goes back to the Garden of Eden when he deceived the woman to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and bad. Eve acknowledged that she was deceived.
3. Satan is the father of the lie. In the Garden of Eden, Satan told the woman she would not die from eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and bad. This is known as the first recorded lie. Eve died.
4. I know of no place in the Bible that directly indicates that Satan wants to help humans or that he loves humankind.
5. I know of no direct statement in the Bible that indicates that Satan desires humans as subjects.
6. Satan does not want humans to know truth. He misleads the world of mankind (Revelation 12:9). He does not want humans to listen to Jehovah.
7. Satan has some angels in subjection to him (Revelation 12:4)
8. Humankind and angels can only listen to (also known as: give worship to, serve, submit to the ideals of) either Jehovah or Satan. Both Jehovah and Satan want individuals to listen to them. Jehovah will reward his listeners with everlasting life. Nowhere is it written that Satan will reward imperfect humans that do not listen to Jehovah. Why not?
9. If Satan desires worship from humans why is he called a manslayer? Does this mean that he would want to slay his followers or just those who do not follow him? If it is just those who do not follow him, would Jehovah or Jesus be considered a manslayer during the destruction of this system of things? I do not think this last thought to be the case (Ezekiel 33:11 Jehovah takes no delight in the death of wicked ones). But I wonder if the term manslayer has more them one definition possibly related to genocide.
10. If Satan desires worship from humans, is it logical for him to want them to die off? He would not have any human subjects. I do not know of any hint that Satan wants humans to live. Eve mentioned that she produced a child with the aid of Jehovah, not Satan. I acknowledge that this could refer to her being designed by Jehovah to have offspring.
11. If Satan wanted humans to serve him, one would think that he would want his worshipers to be united. Jesus referred to the illogical idea that Satan would be divided against himself (Luke 11:17,18 / Matthew 12:25,26). Jesus indirectly testifies to Satan’s mental state as being sound enough to logically run a kingdom. So, why are so many humans warring against each other, if they serve the same master? I realize that Daniel 10 indicates a system of governing by wicked spirits (Satan’s kingdom). Perhaps, the wars are reflections of the mental state of the wicked spirits and/or could it be they just do not care that much other then trying to wipe out “the woman’s seed” that is prophesied to destroy them and to keep humankind from siding with Jehovah?
12. If Satan desired worship from humans, why would he be willing to give all his authority of the kingdoms of the world to Jesus for an act of worship as mentioned in Matthew 4? Jesus did not indicate that this offer was a lie. Of course, the thought is valid that Jesus probably would have put himself in subjection to Satan, if he did the act of worship. However, it is interesting that he only asked for one act of worship, possibly indicating continued worship was not necessary. But it would have only taken one act of worship to Satan to break Jesus’ integrity just as it only took one act of disobedience for Adam to break his. This offer from Satan must have had substance that Jesus realized as valid in order for it to have full force. It is similar to when Eve was being deceived. She soon saw the forbidden fruit as desirable – it was real.
13. Jesus is known as being fond of humans. Proverbs 8:31 (Thank Jehovah and Jesus forever and ever!)
14. Jesus willingly gave his perfect human life for humankind’s salvation.
15. Satan has many opposite intentions as Jesus.
16. Satan is known as the destroyer (1 Corinthians 10:10).
17. Satan wants humans to not obey, not listen to, nor worship Jehovah – Knowing the end result as being death.
18. Jehovah and Jesus want humans to obey, listen, and worship them with the end result being everlasting life.
19. Satan wants death for humans but Jesus wants life for humans.
20. Satan did not have reservations in killing Job’s children and his attendants. Nowhere does the Bible indicate that Satan has plans to resurrect them or that he felt regret about killing them.
21. Satan can not kill humans without authorization from Jehovah (Job1&2). If Satan wanted humankind to die, he would have to influence their actions. One way to do this is to get them to ruin the earth. Not only would they be securing their own destruction but they would be breaking the command from Jehovah set forth with Adam’s descendants to have creatures and the earth in subjection (not to kill the creatures off or ruin the earth). Other ways to do this is to get them to rebel against Jehovah by other means and to kill themselves and their unborn.
22. It would be illogical that Satan would believe that Jehovah would tell a lie. He never has.
23. Going back to the Garden of Eden, Satan knew he lied when he told the woman she would not die from eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and bad. He wanted her to die. If Satan wanted her to continue living (as long as possible) he would have had her eat of the tree of life as soon as possible after eating of the tree of knowledge of good and bad. This was a possibility. He knew that the results would not be good for the future of mankind. His actions prove that he did not want good things for mankind.
24. If Satan advertised that Jehovah was withholding something good from mankind, this would indicate that Satan would have wanted good for mankind and this gives rise to the question: Why did he not just have them eat of the tree of life? – I ask this question because many believe that the tree of life was forbidden to eat from along with the tree of knowledge of good and bad, before the first human sin. Genesis 3:11 shows that Jehovah only forbade the eating from the one tree which is directly and indirectly identified throughout the entire chapter. There is also a distinction between “trees” and “tree” in verses 1-3, 11, and 17, of the same chapter. If the tree of life was forbidden before Adam and Eve sinned, Satan could have really messed things up by having them eat of the tree of life first or second – whatever worked for him. He could have had “worshipers” that would live to time indefinite! Satan could have tried to deceive Eve into eating from the tree of life but there is no indication or scripture that states that it was forbidden to eat from (before they sinned). Satan was very intelligent and it is hard for me to think that he would not have thought his actions through. Of course, the term “good” to Satan would mean something different to Jehovah. Jehovah withholding something “good” from mankind would be different then withholding something “good” from Satan (after he sinned) – From different points of view.
25. Satan told Eve a lie and a truth. The lie being that she would not die. The truth being that she would be like God in knowing good and bad. The angels testify that man did indeed become like them in knowing good and bad.
26. Satan certainly made it appear that Eve was missing out from something good by not eating the forbidden fruit. Eve acknowledged that she was deceived. It was in their gradually acquiring the knowledge of good and bad and possibly experiencing their first feelings of aging and shame that she realized the deception. It is not recorded that Satan told Eve that she would be simply like God although it is a possibility that he could have alluded to that idea. By stating that she would not die from eating of the forbidden fruit he was charging Jehovah with lying to his creation. And it is completely reasonable that he was insinuating that Jehovah was withholding something “good” from his perfect creation while he focused on directing Eve to sin against her creator. Is this a charge that angels would need to have answered? No. They knew humans would become imperfect and die. They knew they would not be better off. Is this a charge that Adam would have wondered about if Satan would have asked him first? Probably not. That is most likely why Satan worked his will on Eve. She was naïve. The charge was unbelievable to others thus did not have merit or need to be proven. However, to Eve it was believable and she admitted it when she admitted being deceived. But by also acknowledging she was deceived, she no longer had doubt about the charge brought about by the serpent was a lie. This is a point in time where every being made in the image of God, both human and involved angels (including Satan) knew that humans were worse off by disobeying their creator. This issue was closed. Humans were now imperfect and dying. You can not get perfection from imperfection alone.
27. Satan was able to deceive 50% of perfect humans, in the garden. Although this was just Eve, he had a follower of his ideas. She did what he wanted, why did he want her to die also? (Matthew 7:11) He knew she would die. Everyone knew she would die except her. Satan did not feel that Jehovah would feel or be obligated to let her live. Otherwise he would be viewed as an unintentional manslayer. Satan’s pattern of actions thru human history is not indicative of being an unintentional manslayer or that of an unintentional liar. He wanted Adam and Eve to die along with their potential to bear seed.
28. Satan is an opportunist in his dealings with man. With Jesus, he waited until the most convenient time to tempt him. With Eve, he waited to tempt her until when the damage could be the greatest.
29. The thought that Satan charged that humans would be “better off” without Jehovah’s help is faulty reasoning because it would be imputing that Satan has good intensions for humankind. This is a thought that is not supported anywhere in the Bible. Satan tempts humans to disobey with the goal of death for them. This is shown in all his recorded temptations including the account at Matthew 4. Satan would have helped Adam and Eve if he had good intensions for them. They did get the knowledge of good and bad. They also died.
30. The reasoning that Satan wanted humans to be able to rule themselves successfully apart from Jehovah’s arrangement is faulty reasoning and not Bible based. If Satan wanted this, he would have tried to help humans to accomplish this. It would be in his interest to prove this, if it is a valid issue that he is concerned about. Also, when the Nephilim were alive, there is no indication that they wanted to help humans to better themselves – This is an indicator of Satan and his angelic followers’ attitude toward humankind.
31. Ezekiel 28:17 refers to Satan as being haughty or allowing his heart to become proud in himself. I wonder who he wanted to boast to. Humans or spirits or both? If he wanted to boast about himself as being the wisest in knowing what was good for humans, why did he not approach Adam directly about the forbidden fruit? It was because he most likely realized that Adam could not be deceived. Satan was up to deceiving and manipulating the first human pair into sinning against their creator – with death as a consequence. This is not an action of boastfulness along with good intentions toward humankind but perhaps it was an action to try to prove a point to other angels. It would be illogical if he was trying to prove that humans would be better off, now that they were to die. He certainly did not try to help humankind to better themselves – Before or after they sinned! Some irrationally think that Satan could have sincerely believed that humans would be better off on their own, apart from Jehovah’s direction. If this were the case, they would be imputing that Satan had good intensions for humans! Also, the fact that they would die is not reason to be better off nor does it impute good intensions. As for the knowledge of good and bad: If Satan thought it was a good thing for humans to have, why he did not try to reason with Adam but he resorted to deception (trickery) with naïve Eve? Satan simply wanted humans to die off.
32. The tree of life was not hidden. The fruit of this tree was reachable and not forbidden for perfect Adam and Eve. The fruitage from the tree of life must have had a positive physical affect on Adam and Eve. They were not forbidden to eat of it before they were ousted from the garden. However, they were forbidden to eat from it after they sinned. Genesis 3:22b states “…and now in order that he may not put his hand out and actually take fruit also from the tree of life and eat and live to time indefinite,—“ The tree of life was also located in the “middle of the garden” along with the tree of knowledge of good and bad.
33. The tree of knowledge of good and bad was the only tree from which Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat. Eve testified to this command. There was certainly a mental and physical reaction from eating of the fruit of this tree. Their thought processes changed. The recorded fact that they realized they were naked is evidence of this. Genesis 3:22 states how their thinking ability changed “…Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad…” (Italics mine). The other reaction is that humans deteriorate and die.
34. Adam and Eve could eat the fruit of the tree of life. Why did Adam not eat of the tree of life after he sinned but before being ousted from the garden? There could be many reasons. However, what if he found that Eve ate the forbidden fruit a day or two earlier and he did not see any immediate effect? He would have surely been confused (by possible misunderstanding of the meaning of “day” in the warning) and perhaps thought that fruit from the tree of life was not necessary. Other possibilities could be that he realized that what Jehovah said would come about regardless of what they did or that they ran out of time to eat of the fruit of the tree of life once they realized that it could help them. Regardless of the reason, Jehovah’s warning that death would result from eating from the forbidden fruit could not be invalidated.
35. Satan did not have to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and bad, in order to decide and or symbolize rebellion against Jehovah’s arrangement. Satan and the other angels already had this knowledge of good and bad.
36. Genesis 3:22 states “…Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad…” A reference from the Insight 2 vol. page 1011 (column one) is sourced from The Jerusalem Bible (JB 1966). It states “This knowledge is a privilege which God reserves to himself and which man, by sinning, is to lay hands on, 3:5, 22. Hence it does not mean omniscience, which fallen man does not posses; nor is it moral discrimination, for unfallen man already had it and God could not refuse it to a rational being. It is the power of deciding for himself what is good and what is evil and of acting accordingly, a claim to complete moral independence by which man refuses to recognize his status as a created being. This first sin was an attack on God’s sovereignty, a sin of pride.” This reasoning is faulty. According to Genesis 3:22, angels had this knowledge of good and bad so God was not the only one who had it. This did not mean that the angels who God was speaking to in Genesis 3:22 were rebels – just because they had this “knowledge of good and bad”. Nor would it be logical to believe that these same angels had decided to have complete moral independence from God. Regarding the thought that it is the power of deciding for oneself what is good and what is evil and acting on it – Didn’t Adam and Eve do this before eating the fruit? They made the decision first then acted on that decision. Adam and Eve were simply affected spiritually and physically (by the dying process and added mental awareness and harming their relationship with their creator) by eating of the forbidden fruit. They already had the free will and ability to decide for themselves whether to obey or not before eating of the forbidden fruit. Sadly, their actions were based upon greed and they decided to disobey – The opposite of Ecclesiastes 12:13. (This same bible translation (JB 1966) comments about a part of Genesis 3:24 as being “Borrowed from Babylonian mythology” thus testifying that not all their reasoning is correct (2 Timothy 3:15)) In review: The thought “This knowledge is a privilege which God reserves to himself..” is incorrect. Genesis states that another had it too. This indicates that angels had this “knowing good and bad”. This statement from Genesis 3:22 does not say or impute for one to have the ability to set or make the “universal law of what is good or bad”. Jehovah is the only one to do that. However, this thought of “knowing good and bad” does indicate having knowledge of good and bad. The word for “know” or “knowing” in Genesis 3:22 is #3045 in Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. There are many definitions. Some are: acknowledge, be aware, comprehend (come to give, have, take). It can be reasonable to conclude that Adam and Eve came to have a better comprehension of good and bad from eating of the forbidden fruit. Regarding the incorrect thought “It is the power of deciding for himself what is good and what is evil and of acting accordingly”, it is wrong for the following reasons: When Jehovah created perfect angels and humans, he created them with free will and the ability / opportunity to use their free will to decide for themselves if they were going to serve him or not. Perfect angels proved they had this ability to decide for themselves what is good and bad when they forsook their positions in heaven and sinned. Perfect Adam and Eve proved they had this ability to decide for themselves what is good and is bad by showing that they could decide for themselves to disobey or not. Eve decided the forbidden tree was desirable and decided to take its fruit. In both cases, they decided to do something they were not authorized by Jehovah to do and so they sinned. However, the comments from the JB could also have in mind the incorrect thoughts that Adam and Eve took the right to set the universal standard of good and bad. The thought “… a claim to complete moral independence” is incorrect also just from the fact that it is based upon the other incorrect thoughts. However, Adam and Eve did take an independent course based upon greed and not love. In fact all those perfect angels who sinned took an independent course too. These thoughts are in harmony with Jehovah’s intensions for perfect beings created in his image with the free will and ability to decide to obey or not – That is, to wipe out the disobedient to allow for unobstructed good for the obedient.
37. Adam and Eve had to have integrity in order to lose it. Satan did too. They all started out with integrity. They were all created perfect.
38. Adam certainly understood that it was bad to eat the forbidden fruit. So until he allowed himself to be swayed by Eve, he was able to maintain his integrity. His integrity was tested. He did not have to eat of the forbidden fruit to understand what integrity meant. He had the understanding and the capacity to maintain his integrity before he sinned. Jesus had the same capacity but he chose to maintain integrity.
39. It is certainly a possibility that if Adam and Eve had offspring before they sinned, some of them could have decided to not eat of the fruit and they would still be living. For those who decided to eat of the forbidden fruit, they would have died like their father did. For they would have made a perfect decision and would not need a redeemer. Satan did not want man to reproduce before he commenced his tempting; otherwise he would have waited to tempt perfect man. Regardless, Jehovah’s will for the earth to be populated with man had to be fulfilled.
40. It was Jehovah’s will that perfect obedient humans would fill and subdue the earth before Adam and Eve sinned and his will remains.
41. Regarding some of the effects from Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6,7): It had deepened their ability to comprehend good and bad. Adam and Eve had a basic understanding of good and bad before eating of the fruit. Eve shows us that she had a basic understanding of good when she “saw that the tree was good for food”. (Some people will look to see if animals eat from a bush to see if the food is edible. It could be that the fruit of this tree could affect humans in a way it would not in other creatures) Eve had to have an understanding of what bad was in order to understand that the tree had good qualities. This level of understanding that Adam and Eve was different then the level of understanding that what the angel’s possessed. It can be compared by thinking of ourselves as being much lower in mathematical intelligence then the angels – Which we certainly are. We are used to it. But if we had some sort of sizable increase in our mathematical intelligence, we would surely view things differently from that standpoint. Adam and Eve certainly literally viewed things differently after eating of the forbidden fruit! Each one of us has experienced this increase in our understanding to a similar degree. As youngsters, there was a time in which we did not realize all the reasons for clothing and did not care if we went around naked. But as certain parts of our brain developed, it became natural and normal for us to not want to be seen by others with our clothes off!
42. The two trees in the middle of the garden had real purpose. It allowed Adam and Eve to exercise their free will in determining their integrity. Adam and Eve could obey or disobey. There had to be consequences for both. Otherwise, what difference would there be? The tree of life provided continued life. The tree of knowledge of good and bad provided the opportunity for Adam and Eve to take what was not theirs. That is the knowledge of good and bad. Death was a consequence for disobedience. The potential knowledge that the tree of the knowledge of good and bad could provide was a way to determine perfect man’s integrity. It proved to be a “touchstone”. This type of touchstone is defined as something that has potential “value” to someone and is not owned at the time and it is not authorized or desired by Jehovah for the individual to possess and if the individual strives after it, it provides a way to determine one’s loyalty to Jehovah. A touchstone can be many things or ideas but the action of striving after it is always based upon greed and not love. We have the example of Satan. He was created very beautiful. This beauty was not bad in itself but he allowed it to be a touchstone for him in that he decided to strive after his own glory and not Jehovah’s. For some of the perfect angels in Noah’s time before the flood, a touchstone proved to be the idea of residing on the earth and having for themselves the earthly “daughters of men” and having offspring. They did not reject this idea it but they pursued it and it determined their loyalty. They forsook their proper dwelling places and therefore broke their integrity. The earth was given to the sons of men to dwell upon and not to these angels. For perfect Eve, the touchstone was the knowledge that the tree of knowledge of good and bad could provide. She was not authorized to have it but by her taking it, she determined her integrity by disobeying Jehovah. In all these cases, death by one means or another is the result. This process is actually a loving method which allows Jehovah to complete his works to provide unobstructed good for those who love righteousness. What a joyous time that will be!
43. Although Satan is acknowledged as the ruler of this world, he does not act in Jehovah’s (or mankind’s) best interest but acts with his own greedy interests in mind. He apparently had earthly authority placed upon him before he sinned and then he abused it and he continues to intentionally mismanage it (Luke 4). Ezekiel 28:14,16 brings out that Satan was created to cover (protect or guard). Verse 13 brings out that he proved to be in Eden – This seems to be before he sinned. So it can be deduced that he certainly had responsibility put on him. And a measure of authority usually goes with responsibility. This authority had to have a length of time attached to it, for it to have purpose. It also had to have been given to him before he sinned. The end of this time period could be alluded to at Matthew 8:29. Jesus also is given a time period of authority.
44. Satan currently has some type of authority over the earth because “neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled…” (Revelation 12:10-12) And he is mentioned as being the ruler of the world by Jesus as a man. This current time of authority over the world by Satan has an end when he is bound for the 1,000 years.
45. Satan wants to be self-glorified. That is, he desires to give glory to himself. This desire is the opposite from what Jesus had shown when he prayed to his father and asked if he could have the glory again of when he was a spirit (John 17). Jesus relied on his father to glorify him rather then to pursue the giving glory to himself.
46. In all recorded tests involving Satan and humans (that I know of) the issue was integrity to Jehovah – Not how the human governments were fairing. Satan seems to think humankind is irredeemable and weak. He tested the integrity of Adam and Eve, Job, the Israelite nation, Jesus, and now the remnant (among countless others today and in the past). He is known as the great tempter and wants man to die.
47. Adam was the first fleshly creation to be created in God’s image.
48. It was only after Eve’s creation that Satan acted against humankind. There could be multiple reasons for this. However, the creating of Eve did open a way for creatures that were made in God’s image to reproduce. It is open to limited speculation whether the angels had this ability to reproduce in the heavenly realm but it does not really matter if they could or not. It is certain that they were not authorized by Jehovah to forsake their positions in their pursuing a desire to inhabit the earth and take wives for themselves and to have offspring on earth. They broke their integrity. It may also be that Satan desired to be receiving glory for himself from other angels by tempting other angels to do this. He had great authority as being a guardian cherub and it is possible that he had the authority to allow angels to materialize on earth, at the time. By Satan’s actions of deceiving Eve when the most damage could result he shows by his actions that he did not want man to live. He wanted to destroy man along with the ability to fill the earth with mankind. Angels improperly having offspring on earth shows that this was something that could be desired by angels. Satan’s desire to have man die also showed that it was possible for angels to wrongfully desire to have man destroyed. Satan has never tried to help humankind or act as their savior or provider. In Matthew and Luke chapters 4, when Satan was tempting Jesus with the kingdoms of the world, he and others certainly would have known that just one act of worship from Jesus would break his integrity whether the offer from Satan was genuine or not. The results would have been that Jesus would die and humankind would not have had a savior. Satan does not desire to be humankind’s savior or to provide one, for whatever reason he may have. Jesus’ obedient human life course is an excellent example how he is the “amen” to Jehovah’s will.
49. Satan certainly is enraged when a lowly human can prove integrity when he could not, as in Job’s case. There is a possible parallel of how Satan used Eve in pressuring Adam to sin against Jehovah and how he may have influenced Job’s wife to try to do the same. But Satan must have been very, very, very enraged when imperfect Job maintained his integrity while perfect Adam did not. It had to add to an argument that imperfect humans are worth redeeming – They can maintain their integrity even when everything is taken away! Another possible parallel is that Satan charged Jehovah with protecting Job – Being a guardian Cherub in Eden, Satan most likely was supposed to protect humans in the Garden of Eden. It would not make sense for him to protect the trees in the middle of the Garden, for Adam and Eve had to be able to prove their integrity. Integrity is the key issue in Job’s case and it shows that even imperfect man is worth redeeming. Integrity also is noted at Ecclesiastes 12:13 as being the “whole obligation of man.” Satan also tries to get everyone to break their integrity. It also stands to reason that although Job was imperfect, his integrity still meant a lot to Satan and Jehovah. And it only makes sense that if someone can maintain their integrity when they are imperfect, it would only be much easier for them to maintain it if they were perfect. Otherwise, Job’s trial would not have meant much to Satan. He could have charged that Job was not perfect but that would not make sense. This account is a reliable witness regarding Satan’s viciousness toward humans. And it goes with good reason that that integrity is a key issue throughout the entire Bible.
50. The thought that “Satan challenged Jehovah that humans could govern themselves better then Jehovah” is incorrect along with a few other recent teachings. However, to understand why they are incorrect, it is necessary to see where and why they originated from within our publications and test them out….
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Concluding answers to the several series of questions at the beginning:
1. What is the basis for reasoning that Satan evidently wants humans to worship him rather then God? And how could he be considered a manslayer at the same time?
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Simply put, Satan does not want humans or angels to listen or obey Jehovah. If humans do not obey Jehovah, they are complying with Satan’s desires. Satan is a manslayer in the fact that he tried to have Adam and Eve destroyed and that he has tried to repeatedly prove that man is irredeemable and not worth saving. He has also pitted himself against Jehovah’s will to have perfect man fill the earth and subdue it.
2. What is the core reasoning in the thought that Satan challenged Jehovah’s sovereignty by saying that man would be better off without him? Where did this reasoning originate and how is it bible based?
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This long held reasoning seems to be first based upon the incorrect thought that man had to experience the fullness of evil by choosing to govern himself and that Jehovah knew this had to happen and that Satan took advantage of this new position of man. Later this thought was revised to show that Satan originated this thought, mainly out of a desire to have human servants and that this thought was a challenge to Jehovah’s right to rule. Nowhere in the scriptures does it mention this thought. It is based upon the incorrect understanding that man has to experience evil (or the pains of self-governing) to prove to himself and to angels that Jehovah’s rule is best. However, it was conclusive that after Adam and Eve sinned, they were dying and imperfect. No angel or human could logically question the results of Adam and Eve’s choice of disobedience. It was not good for them. All concerned absolutely knew that they would never achieve what they had before. You can not achieve perfection from imperfection alone. It would have been illogical and ridiculous for anyone to claim that humans could create a government to rival what Jehovah could provide. Again, there was no question as to whether man would be better off without Jehovah’s rulership. Certainly, if this is something that Satan would have charged, he would have tried to help humans to achieve a grand government. It would be in his own selfish interest to do this so he could attempt to prove himself right. Nowhere in the scriptures does it mention that Satan has ever had any good intentions toward humankind. His attitude toward humans is that they are irredeemable and weak.
3. What is the core reasoning in the thought that Satan questioned Jehovah’s right to rule? And what is this reasoning based upon?
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This has been partially answered in the previous answer and it is basically the same. It developed from the thought that man challenged God’s right to rule and the consequences were immediately obvious. Man was worse off with no hope of attaining perfection by themselves. There was no question to answer, regarding if man would be better off. However, looking at this question from a different viewpoint, Satan does want angels to serve him and he is pleased when humans side with his ideals of not desiring to serve Jehovah. Thus he pits himself against Jehovah for desiring worshippers, or to say followers of his ideals, in heaven and earth.
4. What was the first lie about? And what was the knowledge of good and bad?
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The first lie was Satan telling Eve she would not die if she ate of the forbidden fruit. It was not about Eve attaining the knowledge of good and bad. For the angels attested to the fact that man now had this knowledge as they did! The knowledge of good and bad was a higher plane of reasoning to understand more fully the difference between good and bad. Adam and Eve showed in one way how they were effected by this new reasoning ability by acknowledging that they were ashamed that now they realized they were naked. The angels had this reasoning power too so it was not exclusively Jehovah’s – And their having it did not represent rebellion against Jehovah. However, with man deciding to take it for himself, he broke his integrity and in so doing rebelled. For man to have this knowledge did not mean having the ability to change what Jehovah decided what was good or bad. It simply meant to acquire a better understanding of the law. This could be roughly illustrated by comparing a 4 year old with a lawyer and with a judge. The 4 year old would have a different understanding of law then the lawyer or judge. And although the lawyer can understand the law as the judge does, the lawyer can not decide the law even though the lawyer may view things differently or the same as the judge. The judge in this case represents Jehovah and the lawyers represent angels with their understanding of good and bad or “the law” set forth by Jehovah.
5. What is the basis for the reasoning that Satan charged God with lying and implied that Jehovah was unfair in not allowing Adam and Eve to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong?
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This has been partially answered above. The thought to “decide for themselves” and “govern themselves” are basically the same. This faulty reasoning stems from a couple of incorrect conclusions. One is that the forbidden fruit represented the ability to decide for oneself what is right and what is wrong. In reality, Adam and Eve already had this ability but on a lower plane of knowledge then the angels. They could make their own decision whether to maintain their integrity or not. They could decide what was “good” and “bad” for themselves by their choices. Otherwise, how could they prove their integrity? Eve decided the forbidden fruit was “good” in her eyes, before she ate of it. The other incorrect thought was that man had to be able to fully experience evil to fully appreciate good and this would have had to involve challenging God by disobeying and that God knew that this had to happen. This incorrect thought was modified later to tell that Satan as being the originator of this challenge. However, the issue was simply integrity.
6. What was the purpose for the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and bad?
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Jehovah created the angels and man perfect and in his image with the free will and ability to decide for themselves to maintain their integrity or not. But in order to have a universe free of bad, each individual would have to decide whether to obey or to disobey Jehovah. There had to be placed before the perfect humans something that would allow them to exercise their free will in showing which course they desired to follow. God permitted them to make a choice to show their integrity just as Jesus had the ability to choose to maintain his integrity or not. And Jehovah lovingly warned Adam and Eve of the danger of eating of the forbidden fruit.
7. What is the universal issue and what does it primarily involve?
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The issue at hand is the sanctification of Jehovah’s name which includes his works. This would also include the redeeming of humankind and the cleansing of heaven and earth of non-integrity keepers by means of his Son and his kingdom. It is correct to reason from Matthew 6:9,10 that his “name” would also include his works. (“I SHALL PROVE TO BE” (Exodus 3:14) & “A name is better then good oil” (Ecclesiastes 7:1)) The end result of this process will be unobstructed universal good for all remaining creatures made in God’s image. Although this answer is how we now teach, the difference is that we now have a clearer understanding.
In summary:
God created and it was good. Satan was assigned as a guardian cherub and was very beautiful in appearance. For his own greedy reasons, Satan wants man to die and desires to prove that humankind is irredeemable and not worth saving. Satan also wants other angels to be in submission to him. However, because of Jehovah’s and Jesus’ love for humankind and truth, they set up a redemption process for imperfect mankind. This would take time (Hebrews 2:14,15 / John 12:31) – Especially with the involvement of ill-intended spirit creatures and humans who will be ultimately destroyed. Jehovah’s works will be primarily sanctified by his Son and his kingdom arrangement (2 Corinthians 1:19,20). The conclusion of this process will allow unobstructed universal good for all remaining creatures made in God’s image. Jehovah’s works will be sanctified!