We meet the serpent in the Garden of Eden where God says of him that he was more subtle than any beast of the field (Genesis 3:1). The scene opens with the serpent speaking with the woman. Ever since I was a little boy, I had always visualized Eve speaking with a snake, and I would wonder how a snake could speak, and didn’t Eve wonder that too? Nevertheless, I had no doubt that this story of our first parents was true. However, now I am an adult and as Paul said, I need to put away childish things (1Corinthians 13:11). Snakes don’t speak. They never have and never will unless God causes it to take place (Numbers 22:21-30)! If I agree that God’s word is always true, then it is my preconceptions of the Bible, not the Bible, itself, that needs to be adjusted to discover and understand the truth.
When we scoff at or disbelieve the scriptures, the word of God says of us that our hearts “are waxed gross, (our) ears are dull of hearing, and (our) eyes have been closed.” Therefore, we cannot “see with (our) eyes, or hear with (our) ears, or understand with (our) heart and be converted,” because doing so would bring spiritual healing from the Lord, our God (cp. Acts 28:27).
So, if the serpent of Genesis 3 isn’t Satan, who or what is the serpent? The serpent is used as a metaphor to express a deeper truth than what a simple narrative normally expresses. God is unveiling an evil kind of wisdom. A cunning plan and behavior are described here. The serpent is used to reveal a kind of wisdom that wishes to remain hidden, like that of a hunter or a fisherman (cp. Genesis 10:8-9). The serpent’s qualities personify the character of another individual in the Garden with Eve. Notice what the serpent did. He spoke of a way to be like God, knowing good and evil (cp. Genesis 1:26, 28; 3:22-24). Indeed, mankind was commanded to be like God (Genesis 1:27), but the way to be an image of God is revealed as Christ (John 14:6), vis-à-vis the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9; cp. 1John 1:1-2)
The sin or rather the rebellion was to try to become like God without partaking of the Tree of Life or Christ (Genesis 3:3). In other words, they attempted to fulfill the purpose, for which they had been created (Genesis 1:27) by rebelling and expunging God from the process of gaining knowledge (Genesis 3:6; cp. Romans 1:28). The command in Genesis 1:27 was to seek God’s Way (Ephesians 4:13-15), which would change us into that image through the power of his Spirit (2Corinthians 3:18).
Nevertheless, man has struggled to bring good out of evil ever since Eden. He tries to build a better life through war, government, education, science, art, sports, commerce etc., but always with inconsistent results. He has no authority over this tree of knowledge of good and evil. He never did. God does have authority over it and is able to bring good out of evil, making all things work together for our good. His Way of knowing God and becoming like God has always been through Jesus (John 14:6; Matthew 5:48; 19:21; John 17:23). The serpent’s way has always been opposed to Christ.
Wicked men are compared with serpents in Psalm 58:1-4. Their plans (v.2) are like the poison of the adder (v.4). In Psalm 140:1-5 it is said that their plans (v.5) are like the forked tongue of the adder (v.3). In Micah 7:14-17, the enemies of Israel are called serpents. Christ, himself, described the religious leaders who opposed him as serpents (Matthew 23:33).
The serpent in Eden is described as subtle (Genesis 3:1), and he beguiled Eve (2Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:13) by getting her to mistrust God and defend error (Genesis 3:1-3; neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die). The serpent formed a cunning plan and “beguiled” Eve. Nevertheless, God, is greater in power and wisdom (Exodus 4:3; 7:9-12), and his plan cannot be undermined by the subtle and evil tactics of anyone he created. Notice what James says:
James 3:7-11 KJV For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: (8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (9) Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. (10) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
All kinds of beasts, including the serpent, can be tamed (v.7), but a man’s tongue is full of deadly poison (like a serpent, cp. v.8). James compared our tongues with a fountain that sends forth waters, both bitter and sweet. This is impossible in nature. It must be one or the other. The serpent of Genesis 3 can only be Adam, for only he was with the woman (Genesis 3:6). He was the first Satan. Others appear later, but all are evil authorities, seeking to hide the truth by opposing the Gospel.
In Revelation 8:10-11, a star identified as wormwood (bitter), fell to the earth (cp. Revelation 12:7-12 and Luke 10:18) causing water (people) to become bitter. Ultimately, Satan/Adam is the fountain from which we have all sprung. Man is unable to change himself. He is unable to bring good out of evil or to make the bitter taste sweet. Yet, God is able to make the bitter waters sweet (Exodus 15:22-25). He has authority over good and evil, bitter and sweet, and he has a thorough understanding of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God created it and is not hindered in the least by its fruit.[1]
_________________________________________________________
[1] This study represents a major rewrite of the original. The theme is the same, but much of the content is different, and different scriptures are used to prove the conclusion. The rewrite occurred in December of 2024.
Smoodock's Blog 
11 responses to “Was Satan the Serpent?”
Eddie, I read your four part series on Satan. I agree that Satan is not an archangel. But, I am not sure how you arrived at the conclusion that he is Adam. This development led to Adam tricking his wife and causing her death. Then afterwards he becomes a disembodied spirit that is free to deceive humanity. I am not sure why Adam would have the right to continue fooling people after his death.
You point out and rightly so there is no biblical proof of Satan being an angel. However, it is equally true there is no scriptural evidence of Adam becoming Satan, fooling his wife and then the world.
I wrote a book called, “In the beginning: Understanding the truth behind Genesis”. The work covers the first four chapters of Genesis. I give ample scripture references to all of my conclusions. If you truly want to find out the truth about Adam and Satan, this should clear everything up. Should you decide to check it out, let me know what you think.
Greetings Robert, thank you for mentioning your book, but I’ve been to your website and am aware of the books you have for sale. Should I buy one, I’ll let you know that I’m reading it (them), and, since you request it, I’ll let you know what I think about your conclusions.
Concerning Satan / Adam, if Adam is Satan, he certainly doesn’t live on physically, so if Satan is a sentient being, Adam’s ‘living on’ would have to be explained somehow. A ‘disembodied’ spirit seems to fit nicely, since this seems to have been his mode of existence before the Fall, and before God made skins for both him and Eve. Moreover, if there was no rebellion before Adam’s rebellion, we need to explain Eve’s conversation with a serpent. Serpents don’t speak, but Scripture does refer to men as serpents, when they show they have clandestine plans, which they hope to use against the innocent. Adam was the only intelligent, sentient being with Eve at the time of the Fall. He is, therefore, the logical choice for the one with whom she spoke. While Scripture never comes out and claims Adam is Satan, logical conclusion from Scripture does.
Concerning Adam’s rights, God gave him his right to rule over all God created, and God never recants on what he does. He simply deals with what has occurred and shows himself willing to pay the price to make it all come out, as he had originally planned.
Once one concludes that Satan isn’t an angel or an archangel etc., one must interpret his existence in the Scriptures some how. Adam is the logical choice, because the word ‘satan’ means ‘enemy’, and since Adam rebelled against God, he made himself God’s enemy / satan.
It is clear that Adam didn’t trust God. Plus, no one loves anyone he doesn’t trust, and since ‘faith’ is the evidence of things hoped for, Adam couldn’t have ‘hoped’ in God for anything. In other words, Adam had none of the virtues necessary to live at peace and joyfully in eternity. Under such circumstances, what would keep him from rebelling against God? What would keep him from “fooling his wife and then the world”?
Eddie, I only recommended the book because it is too much information for the blogs and some of the ideas must be built upon in an orderly fashion. My intent is to give you something else to consider with the Adam and Eve thing. I am not trying to sell books via your blog, so please don’t take it that way. I simply love studying and I am always looking for other people that love to study, in order to gain different perspective and to bounce ideas off of them.
I can see logically where you are going with the Adam concept, but scripturally speaking there is no foundation to substantiate this line of thought. We cannot pull elements from other places in the Bible and explain the Garden story. We must take the story for what it is and seek it’s meaning. In the story Adam is never portrayed as the enemy of God or his wife. Therefore, we cannot use other scriptures to make him one. Adam had rights while alive on earth, but no where do we see anyone dead exerting any influence on the world. Adam is never depicted as evil in the story, to make him so in essence is rewriting the story in order to make it work.
Eve’s conversation with the serpent is explainable and logical. Serpents in ancient stories depict wisdom. If we were telling this story today, an owl would speak to Eve. However, we also need to understand who Adam and Eve really represent, then everything becomes clearer. Very little in this story is meant to be taken literally. Genesis, chapter explains the creation of the world and everything in it. Chapters two and three explain the origins of sin and more importantly the relationship between God and humanity before and after sin. Everything in the garden account should harmonize with scriptures without reading other things into the account.
Greetings Robert and thank you for your reply above. I believe we have a mutual misunderstanding of one another. Let’s see if we can work through it.
Concerning your book, I understand, and there is no need for you to apologize for mentioning it. Anyone who reads our discussion would need to know you are speaking out of a wealth of information found elsewhere, and anyone who wishes may purchase any one or all of your books. I am not against such a thing, If I were, I would have edited out your reference and deleted your link to your website in your name. I have done it before to people, but I don’t nor have I ever thought of you in that kind of way. I see you as a brother who loves God’s word, but we do disagree on some things—and it so happens that it is our disagreements that are emphasized in our discussion. And, that’s okay.
If you limit me to the ‘Garden story,’ I would have to agree with you, but, if we let Scripture interpret Scripture, we would need to expand our search for wisdom to other parts of the Bible.
I would have to disagree with this understanding. I see the Garden of Eden like I see the Holy of holies in the Temple of God. Mankind in Adam and Eve lost full and clear access to God when Adam was cast out, and this is symbolized by the second curtain in the Temple, separating the Holy of holies from the Holy place. The fact that God made Adam and Eve ‘skins’ implies a sacrifice or at least bloodshed, and this points to an altar within the realm of Adam’s permissible territory as it concerns the Most Holy Place. However, when Cain sinned he was driven eastward (Genesis 4:16) and away from the presence of the Lord, which points to the Garden being the Most Holy Place during the creation account. None of this can be ‘seen’ without looking at Scriptures elsewhere. Of course, you may have an entirely different interpretation, but for better or worse, this is mine.
In the story Adam rebelled, and the land was cursed because of him. This is not what is done by or between ‘friends.’ Something has occurred that results in Adam being cast out of the presence of God, and the land, over which God had made Adam ruler, is cursed, and Adam must labor long and hard to gain what it had yielded to him without labor.
Influence from the grave is easily proved through the disciples of that one who once preached his theories, truth or not, while he walked the earth. Who could say Charles Darwin has no influence today, or Karl Marx. What about this world’s religions, they were begun by someone, and such a one still exerts his influence from the grave. He may not be conscious of any of it, but it is there nonetheless.
As far as Adam is concerned, even if he wasn’t living (as a disembodied spirit) during the days of Jesus’ ministry, his rebellious influence permeated mankind. No one in all human history ever escaped his influence, except Jesus, and even he was ‘tempted’ by Adam’s rebellious heart through the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests of his day, even the crowds of common people couldn’t serve as a place where Jesus could be at peace. He was continually confronted with opposition on all sides, and that opposition had its roots in Adam’s rebellion.
I don’t know what you would consider ‘evil’ in the story. Certainly Adam didn’t behave well, or ‘good’ in the sense that he was righteous. Paul said sin entered the world through him and death through sin. Sin is evil and Adam not only sinned, but sinned in such a manner that he took mankind away from God. Moreover, when he did this Paul tells us that he wasn’t deceived, as Eve was. Adam’s sin was deliberate. He knew what he was doing. Perhaps we disagree on our vocabulary, as to what might be termed ‘evil’, but nothing I’ve said in this paragraph about Adam can be denied without denying Scripture. If I’m wrong, point it out.
Concerning Eve, if the ‘serpent’ merely represents ‘wisdom’ – whose wisdom is the text speaking of? I can point to Adam, his wisdom, because he instructed Eve about what God told him. However, I see no other wisdom mentioned, unless we bring into the story a third sentient being. I don’t see one there, but the ‘wisdom’ that tempts Eve must come from somewhere.
Concerning the identities of Adam and Eve, Jesus spoke of them as real people, as did Paul, who blames Adam for bringing death and sin into the world. At least from where I stand, it seems wrong not to look at Scripture elsewhere in order to interpret the Garden story.
Sorry for the long reply, but you brought out things above that needed to be addressed, if our discussion should continue. Lord bless you Robert in the love you have for his word.
Eddie, thanks for your reply. I was unaware anyone could see anything, but my name on your blog. When I come to the site all I see are the names of people nothing more.
Adam is not a proper name, but the Hebrew term means man (really mankind), humans or humanity. It has been translated as a proper name in the garden story, mostly likely because of the introduction of woman (Eve). When Genesis chapter states let us make man (Hebrew adam) in our image. It should be translated, let us make humanity in our image. Look at the end result, God created male and female, not just a man. The gave dominion to them, again not just a man.
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Gen 5:2 (KJV)
The Bible clearly states God called their (male and female) name Adam. The term adam was never meant to be a proper name in the Old Testament. It is a classification of our species, by God. Just as Adam named the animals showing their dominion, the Creator named us.
Adam represents both male and female, there is no need for a literal woman. In the story, it is God who decides it is not good for man (humans) to be alone, not Adam. It is God who creates the woman from the side of Adam. The Lord presents her to Adam as his wife. All of this is a mystery in the Bible, but it pertains to Christ.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:31-32 (KJV)
The first Adam and the last (second Adam) parallel each other. The Adam of Genesis can only be understood, through the light of the last one. The woman appears in Revelation 12 where we see the enmity played out (Revelation 12 fulfills Genesis 3). The wife of Christ appears in Revelation 21.
Death reigned because of humanity’s sin both male and female, not because Adam is Satan and is bent on cause humans to sin. Perhaps, I didn’t word it well when I talked about pulling other elements from other places in the Bible. All I meant by that was we need to be careful not to perform eisegesis (reading into) when interpreting scripture, exegesis (pull out) is the only valid method.
This is already getting too long, which is why I offered the book. Peace brother Eddie.