“Satan” is used as a personal name for the Devil (Heb. ןטשׂ, 1 Chr 21:1; Job 1:6-9, 12; 2:1-4, 6-7; Zech 3:1-2). It means “adversary.” Fighting against God and His people, Satan is the ultimate adversary, or enemy, said to be the fourth most powerful being in the universe, after the trinity (see Jude 9, 10). 1 Pet 5:8 warns believers to be sober and alert, using a different word for “adversary” to describe the devil, who intends to devour God’s people like a “roaring lion.” Though believers by themselves cannot match the power of Satan, we can, indeed, certainly defeat him as an enemy in the power of God! The doomed fate of Satan is sealed, and “the God of peace will soon crush” him under our feet (Rom 16:20).
Beel-zebub and Baal-zebul
Word Study
| Steve Stanley
ΒεελζεβούλBeelzeboúl·Strong's G954
This is another name for Satan and means “lord of filth,” from the Hebrew זְבוּל בַּעַל (ba’al zebul). It is a variation of זְבוּב בַּעַל (ba’al zebub), “lord of flies,” the name of a Palestinian deity. The term Baal-zebub is used four times in the OT (2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6, 16) referring to the “god of Ekron.” Whether or not this variation of spelling and meaning in the NT is intentional is not known. Jesus took the accusation of His association with Beelzebub very seriously and condemned it soundly.
1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.