What is your take? Satan was the Religious Zealots of that time.

[MatthewG]

Satan offers all the kingdoms to Yeshua.

(Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them.)


The biblical verses that describe Satan offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world are found in Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-7. In these passages, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Jesus if he will worship Satan.


Musings so far: What is your take? Satan was the Religious Zealots of that time. (collection of quotes of musings concerning the topic for your advantage.)

 

[Fred J]

Scripturally, satan wasn't the religious Jewish Pharisee, but rather, the god of this world who've blinded the minds of unbelievers.

Shalom in the name of Jesus Christ

 

[MatthewG]

Ozzy Osbourne is considered the god of Rock'n'roll, the dark Prince.

Thanks for commenting, Fred.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Satan offers all the kingdoms to Yeshua.

(Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them.)


The biblical verses that describe Satan offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world are found in Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-7. In these passages, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Jesus if he will worship Satan.

Good points. just my opinion but I do think satan is a spirit, but I think it’s the spirit of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. I see how what you bring up about the religious Jewish leaders can also fit with the god of this world, that which the carnal mind worships and idolizes, blinding men so the light of the glorious gospel of Christ can not shine unto them.

But I also think it goes further than the religious leaders of that time, and is still active in the world today. Still blinding men from seeing the light of Christ, and obscuring the truth. Religion and high mindedness still has the same blinding nature today, as it had then.

I just watched a documentary on cult leaders and what makes them is the leader or leaders great desire to be worshipped by followers. How do they blind others into worshipping them?

 

[MatthewG]

Thank you for sharing your response @VictoryinJesus

Maybe some others may respond.

It does seem Satan when he tempted job,

It’s the same picture of Jesus when he was being tempted by Satan.

But some speculate if that was the Jewish people at that time and in that day. Offering him kingmanship, they were after all the god of their world the lived in… considering

 

[bdavidc]

Satan offers all the kingdoms to Yeshua.

(Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them.)


The biblical verses that describe Satan offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world are found in Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-7. In these passages, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Jesus if he will worship Satan.

The Bible is not vague about this. It plainly says who tempted Jesus, and it wasn’t the Pharisees. Matthew 4:8–10 and Luke 4:5–7 clearly state that it was the devil who offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship.The Greek word used is ho diabolos, which means the devil – not the religious leaders, not the Pharisees, not men. Jesus was not in the temple getting in an argument with people. He was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan himself. To suggest otherwise is to flatly contradict the written Word of God.

You don’t get to re-define Satan to be what you want Him to be based on your opinion. Scripture interprets Scripture. The devil is a personal, spiritual being who has been a liar and deceiver from the beginning (John 8:44). He is called the “god of this world” who blinds the minds of the unbelieving (2 Corinthians 4: 4) and he is the tempter, not some kind of allegorical, metaphor for evil religion (1 Thessalonians 3:5). The temptation was literal and Jesus responded with literal Scripture, saying, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10). If you insist the Pharisees were the ones tempting Him, then who in the world was Jesus talking to when He said that?

The real question is this: why do you feel the need to change what the Bible actually says so much of the time? What is your motivation for doing that? To sound smart? To promote your own theory? To dodge the clear truth of God’s Word? The Bible says not to add to or take away from Scripture (Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18–19). If you refuse to let the Word speak for itself, then you are not submitting to God. You are putting yourself above His Word. And that’s not discernment, that’s deception.

 

[MatthewG]

Hi Bdavidc,

I'm simply exploring conceptual possibilities. For instance, Ozzy Osbourne was once regarded as the "God of Rock and Roll"—a title that reflected the cultural reverence surrounding his influence.

Similarly, the Pharisees could be seen as emblematic of spiritual authority (god of this world (their land in that time) in their era. Over time, their devotion appeared to shift from the divine to the Law itself, which became the central focus of their worship.

Given these historical examples of symbolic deification, it's worth asking: why shouldn't such a possibility be considered?

 

[bdavidc]

Given these historical examples of symbolic deification, it's worth asking: why shouldn't such a possibility be considered?

It shouldn’t even be considered, period. Symbolic deification is idolatry, and God hates it. He said, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8). Saying Ozzy Osbourne is the “god of rock” or that the Pharisees were some sort of symbolic “gods” isn’t just harmless creativity, it’s rebellion. It turns people’s eyes off of Jesus Christ and onto the world. That’s Satan’s goal.

2 Corinthians 4: 4 says that Satan is “the god of this world” and that he’s “blinded the minds of them which believe not.” He wants to redirect worship, attention, and glory away from Jesus and onto man, power, culture, or anything else that will steal the spotlight. That’s exactly what happens when people start exalting men to “godlike” positions, even metaphorically. It’s deception dressed up as insight.

Jesus is the only One worthy of worship. Hebrews 12: 2 tells us to keep our eyes on Him. Anything else, whether religious leaders, cultural icons, or manmade systems, is a distraction from the truth and a detour toward destruction. So no, it’s not “worth asking.” It’s worth rejecting outright. Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).

This is a Christian forum, not a playground for secular or worldly ideas dressed up as spiritual insight.

 

[MatthewG]

This is a forum dedicated to Christian discourse. (It's a forum, with the title Christian in it.)

If you don’t find value in this topic, @bdavidc, I respect your viewpoint.

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on what you believe should or shouldn’t be considered. Personally, I don’t view this as idolatry.

In my understanding, idolatry refers to anything that interferes with worshiping God in spirit and in truth. (God is not a bible.)

 

[VictoryinJesus]

It shouldn’t even be considered, period. Symbolic deification is idolatry, and God hates it. He said, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another” (Isaiah 42:8). Saying Ozzy Osbourne is the “god of rock” or that the Pharisees were some sort of symbolic “gods” isn’t just harmless creativity, it’s rebellion. It turns people’s eyes off of Jesus Christ and onto the world. That’s Satan’s goal.

2 Corinthians 4: 4 says that Satan is “the god of this world” and that he’s “blinded the minds of them which believe not.” He wants to redirect worship, attention, and glory away from Jesus and onto man, power, culture, or anything else that will steal the spotlight. That’s exactly what happens when people start exalting men to “godlike” positions, even metaphorically. It’s deception dressed up as insight.

Jesus is the only One worthy of worship. Hebrews 12: 2 tells us to keep our eyes on Him. Anything else, whether religious leaders, cultural icons, or manmade systems, is a distraction from the truth and a detour toward destruction. So no, it’s not “worth asking.” It’s worth rejecting outright. Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).

This is a Christian forum, not a playground for secular or worldly ideas dressed up as spiritual insight.

I’m confused because you seem to come off as if the thread promotes religious leaders, cultural icons or manmade systems as gods. Just saying they have elevated themselves to be as a god is not saying you support it. For me you deflected into a rant as if to teach those things are not God when no one said that they were, but said the opposite that it’s as satan. Is this what bothers you or is it anyone suggesting satan isn’t some mystic creature with horns and a pitch fork?

 

[MatthewG]

I’m confused because you seem to come off as if the thread promotes religious leaders, cultural icons or manmade systems as gods. Just saying they have elevated themselves to be as a god is not saying you support it. For me you deflected into a rant as if to teach those things are not God when no one said that they were, but said the opposite that it’s as satan. Is this what bothers you or is it anyone suggesting satan isn’t some mystic creature with horns and a pitch fork?

Hello VIJ,

You know, I think a lot of the confusion comes from how people picture Satan—as this cartoonish guy with horns and a pitchfork, running around trying to steal souls from God. But I see it differently.

To me, the bigger issue was how far Israel had drifted from God’s heart. They lost sight of key things like mercy, justice, and faithfulness. It’s almost like they ended up worshiping the Mosaic Law itself rather than the God behind it—which is pretty wild when you really think about it.

So when Jesus encountered “Satan,” whether it was a spiritual moment or something more visible, I tend to think He was being confronted with the religious leaders of His day. They were kind of seen as the “gods” of that world, especially after that 400-year gap between Malachi and the birth of Jesus, when the Word of God finally came through again.

And the part about offering Jesus all the “kingdoms of the world”? I’ve always found that fascinating. Even though the 12 tribes were still showing up once a year for sacrifices, the kingdom was divided in two—so there’s a lot to consider in that, too.

Honestly, it’s kind of mind-blowing to think about how it all fits together. So many layers, right?

He could have become their king, if Jesus would have just bowed and did what they had said.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Hello VIJ,

You know, I think a lot of the confusion comes from how people picture Satan—as this cartoonish guy with horns and a pitchfork, running around trying to steal souls from God. But I see it differently.

To me, the bigger issue was how far Israel had drifted from God’s heart. They lost sight of key things like mercy, justice, and faithfulness. It’s almost like they ended up worshiping the Mosaic Law itself rather than the God behind it—which is pretty wild when you really think about it.

So when Jesus encountered “Satan,” whether it was a spiritual moment or something more visible, I tend to think He was being confronted with the religious leaders of His day. They were kind of seen as the “gods” of that world, especially after that 400-year gap between Malachi and the birth of Jesus, when the Word of God finally came through again.

And the part about offering Jesus all the “kingdoms of the world”? I’ve always found that fascinating. Even though the 12 tribes were still showing up once a year for sacrifices, the kingdom was divided in two—so there’s a lot to consider in that, too.

Honestly, it’s kind of mind-blowing to think about how it all fits together. So many layers, right?

He could have become their king, if Jesus would have just bowed and did what they had said.

A lot of good points. I don’t think you are evil or crazy or alone in revisiting how you picture satan. I’m not sure where we come up with a red devil with horns and a pitch fork?

 

[MatthewG]

A lot of good points. I don’t think you are evil or crazy or alone in revisiting how you picture satan. I’m not sure where we come up with a red devil with horns and a pitch fork?

VIJ,

This much I know, I grew up and went to several schools, one with a "Red Devil", One with "Rams", One with "Bears", and one with "Cubs." Some other schools I remember hearing about is ones with "Dogs", and "Cats."

I appreciate your kind words by the way. I don't think it's crazy to go back at any point in time and reconsider what one may have read, and hopefully do so by the Spirit.

Not by fleshly ordination and condemning others for doing so, that is how cults start... if you can't question something... that is not good period!

 

[Muna]

Satan offers all the kingdoms to Yeshua.

(Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them.)


The biblical verses that describe Satan offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world are found in Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-7. In these passages, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Jesus if he will worship Satan.

Looks more like they were a little afraid of the Romans taking away their own little nation here

John 11:48 John 11:48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

 

[Muna]

Satan offers all the kingdoms to Yeshua.

(Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them.)


The biblical verses that describe Satan offering Jesus the kingdoms of the world are found in Matthew 4:8-10 and Luke 4:5-7. In these passages, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Jesus if he will worship Satan.

Just for fun (as you use AI in your responses) I figured I would give it a whirl by adding points in your post for it to answer you (so its not me). Sort of an AI to AI fellowship in the word

Pharisees vs Satan​

The statement that "Satan was the religious Jewish Pharisees, that would have given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them" is a misrepresentation of historical and religious context. According to the New Testament, Jesus explicitly referred to the Pharisees as "children of the devil" , but this was not because they were Satan himself, but rather because of their hypocrisy, legalism, and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group during the time of Jesus, and while they opposed Jesus, they were not Satan. The idea that they would have "given all to him if he would have just bowed down and worshiped them" is not supported by the biblical accounts, which portray the Pharisees as resistant to Jesus' teachings and unwilling to accept him as the Messiah.

• Jesus' Criticism of the Pharisees: Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, legalism, and failure to recognize him as the Messiah. He called them "hypocrites" and "children of the devil" because of their rejection of his message and their focus on outward religious practices rather than genuine faith.
• The Pharisees' Rejection of Jesus: The Pharisees did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Instead, they opposed him and played a role in his crucifixion. They were not willing to "give all to him" if he bowed down to them, as the statement suggests. Rather, they sought to undermine his authority and influence.
• The Nature of Satan: The Bible does not equate the Pharisees with Satan. While Jesus condemned their actions and attitudes, he did not claim that they were Satan himself. The term "children of the devil" was used to describe their spiritual condition, not their identity.

We can have an AI with AI debate

 

[MatthewG]

Before I dive in, I know I actually have to write something first. That part’s on me.

Honestly though, I’m not here to debate—just hoping to hear other people’s thoughts on this topic.

I’ve been using Microsoft Copilot, and I really like it! I still do the work upfront—Copilot just helps polish what I’ve already written and makes it a bit sharper.

If anyone feels like poking fun at me for using a writing tool… well, I’ll just roll my eyes and keep doing my thing.

As for the idea of the Pharisees being seen as Satan—that’s not some brand-new take. It’s actually quite an old perspective.

That all aside I place people who typically do not care on ignore anyways, thanks @Truly.

I’ve had you on ignore for sometime now. I’ve got many people on ignore here cause a lot them really just either 1 don’t care, or 2 they just wanna be ugly and nasty.

 

[MatthewG]

Considering people must use the spirit in conjunction with the Bible. Nothing can really compare to the spiritual truths that can come through if one investigates for themselves maybe even reading along in the Gospels asking the Father in heaven to help you understand as you continue to go alongside when you are reading.

Those are the things that are valuable and important. Always remember that worship Yahavah in spirit and truth, the Father whom adopts us into his kingdom, is a great connection that you have now in doing so because of faith.

My consideration for the Religious Zealots of that time being Satan aren’t new. They are very old indeed. They were the “gods of that world” - Satan - just as “Peter had his mind on the things of the flesh as he told Jesus no you won’t die!”

 

[Muna]

Before I dive in, I know I actually have to write something first. That part’s on me.

Honestly though, I’m not here to debate—just hoping to hear other people’s thoughts on this topic.

I’ve been using Microsoft Copilot, and I really like it! I still do the work upfront—Copilot just helps polish what I’ve already written and makes it a bit sharper.

If anyone feels like poking fun at me for using a writing tool… well, I’ll just roll my eyes and keep doing my thing.

As for the idea of the Pharisees being seen as Satan—that’s not some brand-new take. It’s actually quite an old perspective.

That all aside I place people who typically do not care on ignore anyways, thanks @Truly.

I’ve had you on ignore for sometime now. I’ve got many people on ignore here cause a lot them really just either 1 don’t care, or 2 they just wanna be ugly and nasty.

You been telling me that I have been on ignore for sometime, but you don't really ignore me, you just keep telling me you are ignoring me for whatever reason. Here's a thought, maybe I can make your threads a better experience (whenever I jump into one) if I disappear behind an AI. And since you prefer to use AI to handle your posts, I could make an exception and do the same and use Brave's AI to converse with your Co-pilot AI, forget about us, human discussion is so over rated these days. This could actually work, because then it won't be me responding (or bothering you rather) with all those pesky words of scripture, but we can let these artificial intelligent beings particpate acting somewhat as mediators between us.

 

[MatthewG]

Yes you could just leave me alone. Thanks truly. But you’re free to post on any thread.

I just don’t like when people are mockers and scoffers that’s why I use ignore.

There are some really nasty people out there with bad attitudes which I set a boundary against using the ignore feature. There are many who just want to fight or even pick on people.

Those types of characters on the internet make me lose interest in conversing with as it’s not fruitful nor edifying nor of the Spirit.

It helps you in protecting oneself, setting boundaries up it’s actually really healthy.

I just writing to defend why I ignore you or anyone else on this forum site.

Appreciate it!

 

[Muna]

Yes you could just leave me alone. Thanks truly. But you’re free to post on any thread.

I don't typically bother with you, but I hope you realize that by adressing something in your post that might be contrary to Christ's words (and showing how it is) is not trying bother you personally.