Dante-Alighieri said:
For just as it does not say that Lucifer and Satan are in fact one, it does not say that they are not one and the same.
You're wrong. It states very clearly that in the few instances that the word Lucifer is used, it is very clearly referring to a king of Babylon, and in another instance to a king of Tyre.
There is no way to argue otherwise without completely going against scripture.
So you see, it is not I that you fail to see eye to eye with, but it is scripture you are not seeing eye to eye with, I've not given my opinion.
I suggest you review Isaiah 14 to see your failure in establishing a proper context of the verse you believe refers to Satan as a fallen angel.
Despite what I have felt to be rudeness on your part towards my understanding or lack thereof as you see it...I have done as you suggested and would like to share some thoughts with you on the 14th chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah 14:12 (KJV) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"
Verse twelve in itself states that Lucifer was cast down to the ground which weakened the nations. Never at a time that I have learned, though seeing as I do not know everything....I could be wrong, but I do not believe any one king ruled all the nations. This verse here implies that Lucifer weakened the nations. Is there not a chance that same Lucifer could be Satan?
Isaiah 14:4 "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!"
In rereading a previous verse to that...the one in regards of Babylon and the king of that can also be interpreted in a number of ways. For Babylon itself has been used even in the book of Revelation that serves as an apocalypse has mentioned the same sinful city or kingdom. Does this necessarily mean that that book speaks of a future Babylon...or could it be it speaks of the nation's sinfulness as such?
If you wish here is a particular passage speaking of the destruction of Babylon in Revelation.
Revelation 18 (New International Version) "1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons
and a haunt for every evil[a] spirit, haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' 8Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 9"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!' 11"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more 12cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. 14"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16and cry out: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!'
"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20Rejoice over her, O heaven!
Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.' "
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again. 23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth."
Seeing as now my post has likely been made far too long, I am going to end this one. All I do ask though is that no more rudeness is exercised towards me and that I am not implied as one without intelligence or understanding because I do not see things as you do. I understand you are a student of theology, I am one of religion as I have stated before. So I do not expect us to come to agree. Just the same...I find someone telling me I do or do not understand something based off their own understanding of what they read to be rather offensive.
