Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-15

the prophet Zachariah beheld in a vision
the high priest Joshua standing before
an angel, be saw Satan bv his side TO re-
sist him (Zachariah ILL, II.
These biblical passages have given rise
TO superstitious belief which has taken
deep root, not only IL the hearts of our
people, but also of She numerous adherers
OF Christianity and Islam
In the New Testament Satan is identi-
fed with the devil, derived from the
Greek Diabolos, and is believed to be So
ubiquitous and powerful as God himself.
In Mathew w., l. Satan "a reported as
having tempted Jesus. St. john calls
satan murderer, liar. and IN Re7ela-
ton xii, IS, il Is said: "And. there was
war IN Heaven. Michael and his angels
fought against the dragons, etc. And the
great dragon was cast oct, that old SER
pent called the devil and satan" etc. It
is most astonishing that Jesus, in whom
Christians believe as having been God
himself was powerless in tho presence of
satan, while Michael and his angels van
pushed him! Ia the seventh chapters of
the Koran we read that ''sataD, who is
called their Eblis, having disobeyed Gods
order to worship Adam, was hurled down
from Heaven" etc. Thus has satan be-
come the invisible ruler of Europe, West
ern Asia and America, corrupting the in
nocent, defiling the pure and degrading
individuals as we'll as communities.
But the question arises, spontaneously
"Who i5 satan? Has Judaism given birth
to such q phantom? Are the people OF
Israel responsible for the existence of
such demon? Ia order to solve these
questions we must concur in the conclu-
sions to which our great historians and
modern Bible critics have arrived with
reference to the period when those books
which mention satan as proper name
were discovered. 1t has been ascertaine ed
that the books Job, Daniel, Chronicles
and Kings belong TO that time when the
children of Israel, with exception of {
| few who were permitted to remain in
Jerusalem, were transported by Nebuch-
adnezzar to Babylon. There they cams
| in contact with the Persiaps, whose re-
| Iigion consisted in fire worshipirg ano
| believing in diety OF dual form in Or.
mud, the creator of light and good, and
| Ahriman, the originator OF darkness and
| evil. This belief of the Persians was
| during the time of jeremiah and Ezekiel
| improved by Zoroaster, who was the
propagation of Monotheism, teaching
that there were before the worlds creation
but one omnipotent God who, by his word
called into being two good angels, Ormuzd
and Ahirman. But the latter CORFU ptei
his ways, and thus became ruler of dark
| ness and evil.
Now, as the people Of Israel found in
the land of their captivity nation whose
principal belief in God bore such strik-
ing resemblance to their own, they soon
became closely attached to them and i'm
bued with their belief in Ahirman, whose
name they changed afterward into satan
which found entrance in the Bible. Per
sian superstitious religious ideas took q
| strong hold of our peoples Imagination
yes, even of that Of our prophets. "The
names of the angel"--says the Talmud
Jerushalmi of Rosh Hashana-s'did the
people of Israel bring with them from
Babylon during the reign of Cyrus"
Thus the Christian world is indebted
for the invention of satan, who embeI-
fishes their Testament, not to the Jews,
but to the Persians. Also the believers
in Kabbalah are indebted for the nomen
clatute of angels and demons which they
possess to nobody else but to the Persians
The Persian doctrine of angelology have
| impressed the nyajority of our people SO
that they adhere to it mp to the present
day. This doctrine has become the
nucleus of many of our prayers. The
Kabbalistle rabbits have even gone a step
further, and have identified satan with
the serpent which enticed Adam and Eve
to trespass against Gods commandment.
And gradually they have advanced him to
the high position of Malsch Hamovess
angel of death. Hence, one of the sages
says: "Hu, Rasatan, Hu Hajezer bora
Hu Hamalach hamovess.' 1.-THE satan
the enticer to evil, ard the angel Of death
| are one and the same beinpu