In Genesis 3, a serpent speaks to Eve, telling her to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Who was this serpent?
First, it is clear serpents do not speak. In order to speak, the serpent would require a source of supernatural power. Since it was not God or one of His angels speaking through the serpent (as was the case with Balaam's donkey in Numbers 22), the source must have been Satan or a demon.
Second, the book of Revelation clearly defines "that ancient serpent" as Satan. Revelation 12:9 states, "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." Though the exact meaning of this vision is difficult to interpret, the identity of the serpent is clearly noted. This is further strengthened by the fact that Revelation 20:2 also says, "And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."
The apostle Paul referred to this serpent in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4: "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." His words note the serpent was a deceiver and led Eve astray through "cunning."
This description also fits that of Satan. In John 8:44 Jesus called Satan a liar and father of lies. Second Timothy 2:26 speaks of Satan setting snares or traps to harm others. In 1 Thessalonians 3:5 Satan is also called a tempter.
In the future, Bible prophecy notes that Satan will work through a global leader called the Antichrist who will deceive many. Just as Satan did as a serpent with the first humans in Genesis 3, he will seek to deceive all the earth in the last days. However, his plan will ultimately fail, as Jesus Christ will return in victory (Revelation 19:11-21).
Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3), but then released for one final rebellion against God. He and his evil army will once again be defeated, with a final judgment that Revelation 20:10 describes as, "The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
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