The Bible Says That!? - Is Satan the Ruler of Hell?
Click play below to listen along as you read
Intro
When you think of hell, what comes to mind?
Who do you think is in charge of Hell?
Where do these ideas come from, if you answered Satan? – The Bible, Culture, or something else?
Who is Satan?
For those of you who have heard my lesson on Satan in the OT and the NT, How does the Bible describe Satan?
(For more, Go to "Media" > "Blog" > and search for lessons titled "Who is Satan?" 3-part series)
Check out the "Who is Satan" series to learn more about how Satan functions: in the book of Job, as an Adversary, the issue with the Serpent theory, as an Accuser (Zechariah 3 and Job); Issues with King of Tyre (Ezek. 28) and King of Babylon/lucifer/ morning light in Isaiah 14, and so forth!
Satan in the Old Testament is described in several ways.
In Job and Zechariah, Satan seems to be functioning as a sort of prosecuting attorney. Satan is fulfilling the specific role that God has given to him. Satan only does what God allows him to do and never goes beyond what God instructs. Satan seems to have a negative function regarding this prosecuting attorney role. He kills Job's family, destroys Job's health, and accuses Joshua of not being qualified enough for the priesthood. Yet, Satan still remains within the bounds of God's commands. The Old Testament doesn't seem interested in talking about where Satan comes from or what specifically Satan is.
Satan seems to be a celestial entity, yet that remains unclear based upon the Old Testament text. Satan is in the presence of God as seen in Job. Satan can stand before God and converse with the creator without being destroyed or punished. Other than that, we must look elsewhere like the New Testament to learn more about who/what Satan is.
It is likely, based upon this conversation and the evidence we have examined, that Satan is not the serpent of Genesis 3.
By the time we get to the New Testament, Satan is DEFINITELY a bad guy. Where this shift happened, is unclear. It is likely that somewhere along the way, Satan overstepped his bounds and acted beyond what God had commanded him.
Where does the Bible say Satan is or was? Where has he been and where is he going?
What is Hell and who has authority over it?
What does the Bible say about Hell?
Who was Hell originally created for
Read Matthew 25:41 – Hell was prepared for the devil and his angel
Read Revelation 20:10 – Satan will be thrown in to the lake of fire and tormented there, not rule there.
If Hell was created for Satan, does that mean he rules it?
If Satan is tormented in Hell, does that sound like he has authority there?
If Satan isn’t in hell, where is he now?
Job 1:6-7 – Satan roams the earth
1 Peter 5:8 – Satan Prowls around like a roaring Lion
2 Cor 4:4 – Satan is called the “god of this world.”
Satan is not in hell right now, he is actively working in the world to deceive people. See how we often believe in a contradiction without even realizing it? We often think “he’s the ruler of hell, so he has to be down there,” while also agreeing that he’s here on the earth doing bad stuff against God and his church.
So if Satan doesn’t rule hell, who dies?
Who has authority over hell and Judgement
Read Revelation 1:17-18 + Matthew 10:28
I’m not being coy here, But who is the ruler over Hell? Who has the ultimate authority over hell, death, and sin? à Jesus!
If God is the one who punishes, does Satan have any control over or within hell?
Hell is not Satan’s domain – it is under God’s authority and will ultimately be a place where Satan is judged.
Take away
How does this change the way you think about Hell and Satan?
Why do you think culture portrays Satan as ruling hell?
How does understanding Satan’s true role help us take spiritual warfare more seriously?
If Satan is roaming the earth instead of ruling Hell, how should that affect how we live as Christians?