Archangel Dennitsa, whose name translated means “bringer of light,” later called Lucifer or Satan, is the most famous fallen angel (demon) in angelology, who lures other angels to hell and works to harm humanity. Satan was once one of the most powerful archangels, he shone brightly in the heavens. However, he allowed pride and jealousy of God to overcome his moral strength. Dennitsa decided to rebel against God and conquer the highest power of heaven for himself. An organized war led to his downfall, and he took with him many other angels who sided with him and as a result became demons. As the master liar, Lucifer distorts spiritual truth in order to lead as many people as possible away from the path to God.
Lucifer and his heavenly brothers
The fallen archangel Lucifer is known for his own fall from grace.
God cast him out of heaven after rebelling and trying to gain freedom. But in this whole story, an important point remains behind the veil - the fraternal bonds between the three archangels. Their names are Michael, Gabriel, Lucifer. Let's look at this situation, when in the first war brother went against brother. And let's start with the basics - which of them did what in the Kingdom of God. Archangel Lucifer - there are different versions about what his work was. But there are two main opinions that are trustworthy. Many source texts indicate that Lucifer is God's personal weapon. He acted as an angel of death, sending punishment on sinners - remember Sodom and Gomorrah. The fallen one acted as an accuser at the heavenly court. And he is the right hand of the Lord.
Archangel Michael is second after Lucifer. He filled the vacant seat when the Morning Star was removed. Leader of the angelic warriors. Lucifer is like an executioner, executor of the will of God, Michael is a general of the heavenly army. Under his leadership, God's armies will go into battle.
Archangel Gabriel is the messenger of God. Reveals the heavenly plan to ordinary mortals. Through this voice the divine will is communicated to humanity. He, like Michael, has the title of Archangel - military leader. Yes, the patron of warrior angels is more often called this, but the herald also has such powers.
Archangel Uriel
There is one more angel left, whose name also appears together with the name of Lucifer. Uriel or Uriel (translated from Hebrew as “God is light”, “light of God”) - among Christians he is the last archangel. True, there is not a single mention of him in the Bible itself or other sacred texts.
Information about him can be found in the book of Ezra, where it is said that Uriel was sent to a man in order to explain to him the knowledge about God. He is also mentioned in the book of Enoch, in which Uriel is described as “one of the holy angels”, called the angel of thunder and earthquakes.
And thanks to the works of the medieval monk Amadeus of Portugal, “Revelation,” the cult of the Archangel Uriel arose among Catholics (along with the cults of the other archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Yehudiel, Selaphiel and Barachiel).
Information about Uriel is then transferred to the Lives of the Saints at the end of the 17th century. In Catholicism, the cult of this angel completely ceased following a decision made at the Roman Council in 745.
Lucifer's brothers - Michael and Gabriel
Icons of the holy archangels Michael and Gabriel.
The three archangels did not have a mother, and they cannot be called biological brothers. But they are close relatives - created by one thought. Like-minded people. Michael and Gabriel found it more difficult to endure Lucifer's rebellion. Then they had to raise their weapons. I wonder what was going on in the souls when the Archangel Michael came out against Lucifer?
It is possible that when he took up arms, he did not experience anything. He fulfilled his duty before God, before all that exists. Or he was shocked by the betrayal, but suppressed his feelings.
This is an important difference between the two brothers. Lucifer did not know how to suppress the movements of the soul. Pride overcame him. And the leader of the heavenly army, the Archangel, pulled himself together. I understood that my duty to the Divine Plan is higher than any experiences.
Is Lucifer a common noun?
As a synonym for “Satan,” the word “Lucifer” can be used as a common noun. And Satan in the Bible is not only a fallen angel, but also one who creates obstacles, plots, and opposes the will of the Almighty. Or it simply prevents someone from accomplishing their plan - like the Angel who stood in the way of the sorcerer Balaam riding on a donkey (Numbers 22:22).
“The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things” fragment of a painting by the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch
In the rabbinic tradition, Satan is not a title for a dark spiritual personality, but a synonym for sin - an act that goes against God's will.
Interesting fact:
In 2014, a child was born in Perm, whom his parents named Lucifer. The clergy explained that this name is associated not only with the enemy of the human race. The baby's heavenly patron could be Bishop Lucifer of Calabria, an Orthodox saint.
Lucifer and Michael - what connects them
We judge the relationship between these two entities from the texts that have reached us. Ancient sources say that Michael tried to dissuade Lucifer from rebellion. With tears in his eyes. Where did they come from, if not out of concern for a creature close to you?
Archangel Michael and Lucifer.
This manifestation of feelings is interpreted in another way. The chief among the angels was worried that before the rebellion, harmony and peace reigned in all things. Lucifer broke it. But closer to the truth is the explanation that talks about their brotherly feelings. Archangels are higher than humans, but are capable of testing human beings. Because if it were not so, Lucifer would not have rebelled.
And what’s interesting is that the conversation where one tries to dissuade the other does not take place between the angel of death and the herald. Not between Lucifer and Gabriel. Although the Voice of God must lead the conversation. Perhaps there was an abyss between the brothers that we would not be able to comprehend. After all, the first is the angel of death, a warrior, the arbiter of the will, and the second is a diplomat, a herald.
So God sent Michael to speak to the rebel. A warrior will understand a warrior even when he does not have the gift of elegant literature. Other explanations are possible, but this is empty freethinking; we will not know the truth. It remains to look for other versions of these events.
Lucifer, Satan, demon, devil, fallen angel - synonyms?
The devil is a “slanderer” because he uses lies to achieve his goals and accuses people before God so that they share his terrible fate. Satan is the “adversary.” Despite their different meanings, these titles of the Prince of this world are used as synonyms.
The Fall of Simon the Magus, icon.
A fallen angel can be called either Satan or any demon. However, Satan is not called a demon; he is higher than them in status, since he rules the kingdom of evil spirits. And the word “Lucifer” is actively used in this meaning by Hollywood screenwriters. Columnist for the Thomas magazine, publicist and theologian Sergei Khudiev believes:
We should not use the word “Lucifer” to name Satan - firstly, now he is definitely no longer a light-bringer, secondly, we should not offend the pious people who bore this name, and thirdly, we should not get involved with the Hollywood tradition Luciferic horror stories that can be spiritually confusing.
Legend of Lucifer
The legend of Lucifer will shed light on the situation. Here are the preconditions for future conflict. And one more confirmation that the angels were defeated by human feelings.
At a time when the human race was in its infancy, Higher Beings appeared on Earth. They descended into our sorrowful vale to push him. Like a father who carefully teaches a child to walk, so that one day he will follow the path of great achievements. Lucifer, the right hand of the Lord, also descended with them.
He, like the others, stood up for the prosperity of mankind. He carried the light of knowledge and turned out to be the real Prince of All That Is. Great power fell into his hands. But he is not the leader among brothers; they are equal to each other. And when he realized his own infinite power, he realized that nothing would stop him, he could not resist great pride and was inflamed with envy when he realized that he was no higher than the others.
Lucifer could not cope with temptations. God alone is perfect, but not his creatures. So the archangel gave birth to the sprouts of vices in the souls of humanity. This legend tells about the future confrontation between two great spirits - Archangel Michael and Lucifer.
The sad story of the first three archangels is about betrayal and fraternal war, which marked the beginning of a great confrontation. But she also talks about the fact that even divine beings give in to emotional impulses - no one is perfect.
Lucifer in the Bible: all references
There is no direct indication in Scripture that Lucifer is the devil. Some interpreters consider them to be one person, others see no reason for this.
Interesting fact
In the Orthodox tradition, it is generally not customary to call the unclean something like that. They are usually referred to by two other names: “Devil” - “slanderer” or “Satan” - “adversary”. They don’t even call it Dennitsa, because, strictly speaking, this is the name of an Angel who has not yet fallen. But in Western culture this name is firmly attached to the fallen angel
Being
The first time the devil appears on the pages of Scripture is in the form of a serpent. He persuaded Eve to try the forbidden fruit and thus marked the beginning of human tragedy.
Murals of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv. Viktor Vasnetsov, The Temptation of Eve
The fallen angel did it out of hatred. People evoke this poisonous feeling in him because God created them in His image and likeness and endowed them with the potential to spiritually rise above the Angels.
Creation of the Angelic World
God created the heavenly host before our planet. When He created it, the Angels expressed wild joy.
You, Lord, are one, You created the sky, the heavens of heavens and all their hosts.
Neh. 9:6
According to Tradition , the angels of the lower ranks were subordinate to the higher ones. They were commanded by Dennitsa, the spiritual creature closest to God (seraphim or cherub), gifted more than others with intelligence, strength and beauty. John of Damascus writes that Lucifer was the protector of the Earth. The Creator loved him more than all His sons.
Riot of Dennitsa and Archangel Michael
His own beauty and other God-given virtues turned Dennitsa’s head so much that he compared himself with Him and decided that he was fully capable of replacing Him and even surpassing Him.
The Fall of Dennitsa, icon.
The Bible tells about the overthrow of Satan and his supporters from Heaven:
And the great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Open 12:9
Satan was destroyed by pride - in his own eyes he put himself above everyone else. At first, only he fell away from the Creator, and then the devil seduced a third of his brothers, and they turned away from Heavenly Father. So they turned into demons, although initially all Angels were good.
The rebellion organized by the devil was suppressed by Archangel Michael , who fought together with his brothers who remained faithful to God. He expelled the demons from the heavenly house, and they created their own kingdom, of which Satan became the monarch.
Mention in the Book of Isaiah
The Church Fathers put an equal sign between Lucifer and Satan after rethinking verse 12 from chapter 14 of the Book of Isaiah:
How you fell from the sky, Lucifer, son of the dawn! crashed to the ground, trampling the nations.
These words are addressed to the fallen ruler of Babylon . Tertullian was one of the first to see references to Satan in this place but he never mentioned the word “Lucifer” as a proper name. Over time, the star became a metaphor for a fallen angel, although Isaiah directly says that we are talking about the Babylonian king, who was overtaken by retribution for all his crimes.
Entry of Alexander the Great into Babylon (1665) Charles Lebrun (1619 - 1690) Oil on canvas 450 x 707 cm
Isaiah calls him the morning star to show the splendor of his former glory. Just as Venus surpasses other stars in radiance, so in the light of the glory of the Babylonian ruler all the earthly kings of that time faded. But it will be eclipsed by the sun - Israel.
Theologians see in these verses not only a direct meaning, but also an allegorical one. The Babylonian king is a collective image of all the proud and cruel rulers of the world, which includes Satan. At first he was a bright Archangel, and then pride inflated his ambitions to monstrous proportions and they swept away his holiness. Desiring to equal God in greatness, he violated His law and lost his angelic powers and privileges.
So the former angel of light got new names: father of lies, murderer, prince of darkness, rebel, etc.
Isaiah, creating a tragedy, creates a whole detailed dramatic development for the Devil under the guise of an Assyrian.
John, Patriarch of Antioch
Herbert Wolf , an American interpreter of the Old Testament , believes that the prophet addresses himself not so much to the deceased tyrant as to Babylon, and rejoices at the fall of the empire.
Isaiah's verse was then linked to the words of Jesus Christ , who describes the event as an eyewitness:
I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
OK. 10:18
The fathers of the early Christian Church saw in the fall of the Babylonian ruler an allegory of the coming defeat of Satan.
From the same position, Western theologians consider the appeal of the prophet Ezekiel to the king of Tire:
You were in Eden, in the garden of God; your garments were adorned with all kinds of precious stones; ruby, topaz and diamond, peridot, onyx, jasper, sapphire, carbuncle and emerald and gold, everything skillfully placed in your nests and strung on you, was prepared on the day of your creation.
You were an anointed cherub to overshadow, and I appointed you to do so; you were on the holy mountain of God, walking among the fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you... Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, because of your vanity you destroyed your wisdom; Therefore I will throw you to the ground, I will hand you over to shame before kings.
Ezek. 28:13-17
In early Christianity
Jesus Christ calls Satan a prince, and the Apostle Paul calls him the god of this world, capable of taking the form of an Angel of light (John 12:31, 2 Cor. 4:4; 11:14). Although Thomas Aquinas considered him and demons to be spiritual entities with high intelligence.
Miniature screensaver from the Khitrovo Gospel
In early Christian literature, different points of view were expressed as to what exactly Satan's first sin :
- Justin Martyr believed that because of him the first parents of mankind disobeyed God.
- Cyprian attributes to him jealousy and envy of Adam - emotions incompatible with holiness.
- Origen of Alexandria calls pride and rebellion against the Almighty.
Over time, the biography of the Prince of Darkness acquired new details. According to many believers, he became the king of hell and the lord of witches.
But is there a biblical basis for equating the words “Satan” and “Lucifer”? The Savior is also called the morning star in Scripture:
I, Jesus, have sent My Angel to testify to you this in the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star.
Open 22:16
Lopukhin 's Explanatory Bible , Jesus is the bright morning star because He is the hope that the eternal day of His Kingdom will come.
Lucifer is an epithet of John the Baptist in the Vulgate and of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Easter Catholic hymn.
Interesting fact
The medieval image of Satan is very similar to the pagan deity: a cross between a beast and a man. His mouth seemed like the gates of hell, and his enormous size allowed him to easily swallow a sinner.
Who was Lucifer before Christianity?
Mentions of a certain “evil incarnate” also existed in the pre-Christian era. For example, in ancient Roman mythology, Lucifer was the son of the Titan Astria and the goddess of the dawn Aurora . In the Aeneid it appears to be a kind of epithet for the planet Venus.
Lucifer was still in the Aeneid
In the Middle Ages, simultaneously with Christian teaching, there was an opposition cult of Lucifer (Satanism) . The Luciferists were a secret community, so it is difficult to say exactly what their cult represented even now. All information remained only within the cult and was strictly classified.
Sometimes it turned out that members of the sectarian community were also members of the Masonic lodge. Such a unification was necessary for a more productive search for artifacts that would help lead seekers to God or the devil .
