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Post by Tamrin on Jul 5, 2008 19:26:52 GMT 10
We read:Passage 14:12 from the Book of Isaiah ... ["Lucifer", i.e., "light bearer"] referred to one of the popular honorific titles of a Babylonian king; however, later interpretations of the text, and the influence of embellishments in works such as Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost, led to the common interpretation in Christian belief that Lucifer was a poetic appellation of Satan. In a postive sense, the feminine "Lucifera," and its equivalent in other languages, was commonly an appellation of various female deities (sadly, this evocative title has also now been debased and demonised). Diana Lucifera See: Lynn Picknett's, 2005, The Secret History of Lucifer , Robinson, London Also see: Revelation 22:16, where Jesus is described as the "morning star," a.k.a., "Venus," a.k.a. "Lucifer."
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Post by Tamrin on Jul 5, 2008 19:28:38 GMT 10
Given that "Lucifer," simply means "light bearer," which was a common appellation of Venus (and some other beneficent deities); the planet identified with her is also known as the "morning star;" and, given that Jesus was described as the "morning star," Christians need have no problem with the title in that context. A common religious tactic is to appropriate what one may from competitors and demonise the rest (no matter how benign or beneficent). As was done with the god Pan, so too was done with the title "Lucifer."
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