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.

 

[talons]

Also this is all gnostic scripture you're dealing with right now.

Which scripture are you pointing out to be gnostic ?

 

[Scott Downey]

Yes it is. That's called theology. You're into apologetics. I'm a studied theologian. I need more proof than the fact Christians thought Satan and the devil are the same. As this is a highly controversial position and incoherant with the old testament.
If you ask a Jew, they will say Satan is the accuser and link the devil to the morning star, who was the King of Babylon.
The devil is linked with worldly power, while Satan is a spiritual figure, one of God's servants.

Satan is not a holy angel. Satan is the ruler of demons.

Mark 3
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

 

[Scott Downey]

Satan one of God's servants?
Jesus tells us Satan is not mindful of the things of God.

Mark 8:33
But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

 

[Scott Downey]

​

17 I will [a]deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I [b]now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified[c] by faith in Me.’

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 26:17-19 - New King James Version

I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by...

www.biblegateway.com

 

[Scott Downey]

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

 

[Scott Downey]

Satan prevents people from seeing the light of Christ, if he can.
Satan is in opposition to Christ, as an enemy of God, not an ally.

2 Thessalonians 2
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of [a]Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the [d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [e]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

[Stumpmaster]

Oh I see you're going the route of abrogation, cause the Jews denied Jesus, their scripture is false, or their traditional interpretations are false. Basically like Muhammad does who corrected his own earlier divine revelation, saying Jesus is the word and spirit of God, for a later revelation denying Jesus divinity, to put himself above Jesus.

Also this is all gnostic scripture you're dealing with right now. John is more on the "YHWH is the devil and Jesus is the true God" side, especially in revelation.
That's a valid standpoint to embrace the gnostic history of Christianity, but I doubt that's your intention. Also Luke and Matthew deny that and say YHWH is our father.

We're talking about interpretation of scripture, declaring the old Testament invalid if it contradicts own interpretations, is dangerous territory.

Critical theology reeks of humanistic revisionism.