| − | The word ''Satan'' derives from the Hebrew "ha-satan", meaning the "accuser", "tempter", "persecutor", "calumniator", or "adversary". He "was a liar and a murderer from the beginning." (John 8:44) Synonyms include '''Lucifer, demon, Mephistopholes, Mephisto, Beelzebub, the Evil One, the Tempter,''' and '''The Prince of Darkness.''' Only "devil" is used as an epithet for a profoundly evil person. | + | The word ''Satan'' derives from the Hebrew "ha-satan", meaning the "accuser", "tempter", "persecutor", "calumniator", or "adversary". He "was a liar and a murderer from the beginning." (John 8:44) Synonyms include '''Lucifer, The Devil, Mephistopholes, Mephisto, Beelzebub, the Evil One, the Tempter,''' and '''The Prince of Darkness.''' The term "demon" generally refers to one of the fallen angels who join into Satan's attempt to overthrow God. |
| | + | The adjectives include "devilish," "demonic", and "diabolic". Those who worship Satan are called [[satanism|Satanists]], Satan-worshippers, devil-worshippers, or demonists. |
| − | The adjectives include "devilish," "demonic", and "diabolic". Those who worship Satan are called [[satanism|Satanists]], Satan-worshippers, or demonists.
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| | '''Lucifer''' is a name literally meaning "Son of the Morning" (or "Light-Bearer"), and is mentioned in the Bible only in the [[book of Isaiah]] (Isaiah 14:12). Though in Christian tradition Lucifer is equated with Satan, the immediate context of the passage is Isaiah's prophecy against the king of Babylon, and the name "Lucifer" was not present at all in the original manuscripts (in the Latin Vulgate, the phrase "Son of the Morning" was transliterated as a proper name). | | '''Lucifer''' is a name literally meaning "Son of the Morning" (or "Light-Bearer"), and is mentioned in the Bible only in the [[book of Isaiah]] (Isaiah 14:12). Though in Christian tradition Lucifer is equated with Satan, the immediate context of the passage is Isaiah's prophecy against the king of Babylon, and the name "Lucifer" was not present at all in the original manuscripts (in the Latin Vulgate, the phrase "Son of the Morning" was transliterated as a proper name). |