Possibly,
one of spiritualism tactics is for the fallen angels to appear in the form of someone other then themselves. -- a deceased loved one, mary, or other apparitions, and finally satan will personate Christ himself! --

so it is possible.


I often wonder why was the snake cursed -- it didn't seem to be its fault it was used.

Then I thought maybe it's for our benefit -- to help us understand some things.

The serpent was not a bird, but a flying reptile, of dazzling colors and brilliance. EGW says it was one of the most beautiful creatures.

From geological sources it appears there were still flying reptiles for some time prior to the flood. (Which evolutionists sieze upon in their attempts to prove their theory). But then they disappeared from real life and remained only in legends, as memory of their existance faded.

I think God used the serpent as an object lesson to help people understand the reality of Satan.
A once proud, dazzling and beautiful creature, the highest of the angels, yet who got involved in sin and was cast down -- down -- .

The enmity most people have towards snakes is sometimes hard to understand for they are still beautifully decorated with color and patterns, but the way they slither over the ground gives people the creepy crawlies. And isn't that just like satan who now slithers about seeking to hypnotize and devour? -- or wrap us up in the coils of sin till all spiritual life is squeezed out of us, -- or bite us with his poisons of philosophy and worldly reasoning and deceitfulness of sin to kill the seeds of truth and render us spiritaully dead.

The enmity one feels toward snakes should be many times greater against the one they symbolize.

What "other scenario" is this talking about? I don't get it.

What does this tell us of the extent of the damage to humanity? Does this give us any insights about what we need to be reconciled to God?

Monday's study is a warning to us about deception today.


We see the same thing happening today; truth being mixed with error, and unfortunately accepted as truth.

Here is the whole paragraph of the above quote from Sunday's study:


I think it is saying that later on in the Bible, we learn more about the deceitful works of the devil. One such text from Sunday's study is:


The other texts there will also give further insight to the insidious deceptive works of the devil.

We should also note that the truth/error mixture is not confined to "new" ideas. It is possible that the things we have been taught for [FILL IN THE BLANK] years was a mixture of truth and error.

Still about the serpent:

"Satan, in the form of a serpent, conversed with Eve. The serpent had not the power of speech, but Satan used him as a medium. It was Satan that spoke, not the serpent. Eve was deceived, and thought it was the serpent. This serpent was a very beautiful creature with wings; and while flying through the air his appearance was very bright, resembling the color of burnished gold. He did not go upon the ground, but went from place to place through the air, and ate fruit like man." {3SG 39.2}

"He approached Eve, not in the form of an angel, but as a serpent, subtle, cunning, and deceitful. With a voice that appeared to proceed from the serpent, he spoke to her, and his conversation was like the words which today wise and wicked angels speak thru various agencies. As Eve listened, the warnings that God had given faded from her mind. She yielded to the temptation, and as she tempted Adam he also forgot God's warnings. He believed the words of the enemy of God." {ST, May 29, 1901 par. 2}

I think the other important words in that quote is in the form of a serpent.

I find her use of "forgot" interesting. Here's a more familiar narrative: "He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate." {PP 56.2}

It seems that she used "forgot" in an unusual way.

From Tuesday's study comes this interesting quote:



What were the consequences of their disobedience, the immediate results of the Fall?

Tuesday's study, in this reformatted quote, answers this question.



If it were not for Genesis 3:15 then all would be hopeless for the human race.