Satan is NOT the Devil - Cheol is NOT Gehenna (Hell)

[David in NJ]

Many Christians today unknowingly mix biblical terms with medieval theology. Let’s clarify two common misunderstandings:

1. Satan ≠ the Devil

In the Old Testament, haSatan ("the accuser") is not an enemy of God but part of His heavenly court (Job 1–2). He acts as a kind of prosecutor, testing the faithful and bringing accusations — with God's permission.

> “Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” – Job 1:12

In contrast, the Devil (diabolos) in the New Testament is a symbol of deception, rebellion, and chaos — opposing God’s will and misleading humanity (John 8:44, Revelation 12).

Sheol is the realm of the dead in the Hebrew Bible — a shadowy underworld for everyone, righteous or wicked (Psalm 6:5, Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Gehenna, by contrast, is a New Testament symbol of divine judgment — based on a real valley outside Jerusalem used historically for idolatry and waste-burning (Matthew 5:22, 10:28).

Sheol is neutral; Gehenna is punitive. They are not interchangeable.

3. The Devil is real — and religious

The Devil is not Satan but a false god, a spiritual deceiver. He often manifests through systems, especially organized religion when it distorts God’s nature.

Even Christians are not immune.

> “For such men are false apostles... even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” – 2 Corinthians 11:13–14

Whenever religion teaches an unbiblical God — one of cruelty, nationalism, greed, or exclusion — it risks becoming a tool of the Devil.

Not every church teaches Christ.

Why this matters:

Misusing biblical terms leads to bad theology and spiritual blindness.
Jesus came to reveal the true heart of God — one of mercy, justice, and love.

Let’s honor that truth.

Satan absolutely is the Devil = Revelation 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

 

[Stumpmaster]

You know Stumpmaster, now that I think about it, the discussion was (in the very literal sense of things) concerning a doctrine of the devil. Like whether the devil (and/or satan) are the same or not for the umpeteen time (regardless that it shows us very plainly in scripture that they are). So maybe you are correct to bring it in regardless because contradicting what is plain regarding it would be lying against the truth or seeking to pervert or something similar.

Yes, there are sinister motives behind attacks on the veracity of Scripture. This verse comes to mind:

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.