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Where in the Bible do we find that Satan is called Lucifer?
The name ‘Lucifer’ is only used in the King James Version and New King James Version of Isa. 14:12. The original Hebrew word means ‘light-bearing object in the sky’, ‘shining one’, ‘morning star’. It is true that the Hebrew word for ‘Lucifer’ is not a proper noun, but a description of someone who is ‘the shining one’, who is like the ‘morning star’. The proper noun ‘Lucifer’ comes from the Latin Vulgate meaning ‘light bearer’. Since the passage refers to a person who stands in direct opposition with God, he was identified with Satan by the early church fathers. The question that now needs to be answered is, how is ‘the shining one’ linked to Satan since the passage in Isa. 14 seems to be clearly speaking about the king of Babylon? From Isa 14:3 we see a lament against the proud, arrogant, and seemingly unconquerable king of Babylon, but warns that he will be brought low, and die like the very ones he conquered. As the Bible writer describes this king, he starts using language that goes beyond that of a mere human being based in the Middle East. It is as if he is saying, “Let me now describe the True King of Babylon – the proud, arrogant and evil One, the One behind the earthly king of Babylon.†The writer then fades out of the earthly king and fades in the True King of Babylon. Phrases like ‘fallen from heaven’ (vs 12), ‘exalt my throne above the stars of God’ (a reference to angelic beings – Job 1:6. He wanted the first spot of all created beings), ‘sit on the mount of the congregation’ (vs 13, cf. ‘mountain of God’ in . 28:16 – a desire to sit in God’s place, to rule the universe), ‘ascend above the heights of the clouds’ (vs 14, be in the highest position), ‘be like the Most High’ (vs 1, to have the position of God’) – cannot refer to a mere human being. It points to some angel who was in the very presence of God, who wanted His position and challenged His authority. A similar literary technique is used with the king of Tyre in Eze. 28:11-19. Once again, the description cannot only refer to an earthly king. Putting both passages together (the Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 ones), we see someone who was created perfectly (Eze. 28:15), who was an anointed cherub (i.e. the one who stood in the very presence of God), who desired God’s position (Isa. 14:14), who became proud because of his beauty (Eze. 28:17) – but who will eventually be destroyed (Isa. 14:15-20; Eze. 28:17-19). These passages tell us that God did not make the devil. He perfectly created someone described as ‘the shining one’, ‘the light bearer’, but who because of pride, and a desire for God’s position, became a devil. In Matt. 16:22-23 we see something somewhat similar to the above. Peter tried to discourage Jesus from the cross in Matt. 16:22-23. Jesus then realises that One greater than Peter is behind these words, and addresses him directly. Peter faded into the background and Satan came into sharp focus. Jesus now addressed the Source, viz., Satan himself, who did not want Him to go to the Cross and die for our sins. Incidentally, it is common in translation that some translators may express certain words as proper nouns, while other translators may render those same words as descriptions. For e.g. the word ‘Calvary’ found in the KJV in Luke 23:33, and translated from the Vulgate, is translated as a proper noun in Latin, meaning ‘skull’, but most other translations put it as a description (‘the place of the Skull’ - as found in the Greek). Both the proper noun and description obviously refer to the same thing. Similarly whether ‘Lucifer’ (a proper noun), or ‘shining one/light bearer’ (a description) is used – both refer to the same being.