# What if Satan Repented? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2020, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137 "2020-06-06T02:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/1 "2020-06-06T02:03:50Z")
Apologies if this isn’t the correct forum. First, I don’t believe in a being called Satan. I see the Father of Lies as a metaphor for the potential for evil that all people have. My question, however, assumes that he was an angel who led a rebellion against God and was cast into the Bad Place. What if he decided he was wrong and sincerely repented. Here I assume that, like humans, Beelzebub has free will. God, being all-knowing, would know that he was sincere. Would Lucifer be allowed back into heaven? Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/2 "2020-06-06T02:10:41Z")
It’s hard to puzzle out the consequences of free will gifted by an omnipotent divinity. There are paradoxes that I don’t see how one can reason through. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/3 "2020-06-06T02:11:38Z")
Hell if I know! But seriously imo the foundation of Christianity is free will. So my best guess would be that had Satan repented he would be let back into the fold. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/4 "2020-06-06T02:23:56Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Hell if I know! But seriously imo the foundation of Christianity is free will. So my best guess would be that had Satan repented he would be let back into the fold. If he leaves, there’s a guy here in DC that could take over for him. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/5 "2020-06-06T02:25:36Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > If he leaves, there’s a guy here in DC that could take over for him. Trump is too stupid to be Satan. But if he were Satan, the Unholy Trinity would be Moe, Larry and Curly. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/6 "2020-06-06T03:14:42Z")
In the Bible, God has been known to harden the hearts of others just to keep the narrative flowing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/7 "2020-06-06T03:59:39Z")
God supposedly has shown a willingness to forgive humans who betrayed him and to open a path for their redemption. I don’t know if there’s any scriptural authority saying he has decided the same for angels who betrayed him. Perhaps God has decided that humans were fallible and should be forgiven for their mistakes while angels are held to a higher standard. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/8 "2020-06-06T04:02:29Z")
Satan or Lucifer is a fallen angel right? I thought angels don’t exactly have souls or free will like humans? Not sure what the Bible actually states on these matters. Maybe that means redemption is off the table. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/9 "2020-06-06T04:38:16Z")
For the story to work, you need at least one bad guy, or scapegoat, that the rest of humanity can blame for their own errors. “The devil made me do it” doesn’t work if you make the devil forgivable. Certain archetypes, like an unforgivable devil figure, need to be present for mythology to function. I mean, good lord, what kind of chaos might ensue if there were no devil to blame for our misdeeds? ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/10 "2020-06-06T06:33:15Z")
You could extend the question and ask, what if _any_ of the souls in hell repented? Not allowed in Christian beliefs as far as I know. Interestingly, if you go back to the [Book of Job](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+1&version=NIV), Satan is shown as more of an associate of God, than an adversary. Or at any rate, God gives him permission to do what he’s doing. > [@](#): > > 6 One day the angels [lit. _the sons of God_] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. > > 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” > > 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” > > 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. > > 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. > > 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” > > 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. > > … > > 2 > > 1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. > > 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” > > 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” > > 4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. > > 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” > > 6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” > > 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. I like the way Satan has an attitude like a teenager. ‘Where have you been the whole day?’ ‘Oh, you know, just out.’ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/11 "2020-06-06T07:33:06Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > What if he decided he was wrong and sincerely repented. Here I assume that, like humans, Beelzebub has free will. God, being all-knowing, would know that he was sincere. Would Lucifer be allowed back into heaven? Discuss. My belief is that Christianity is a type of Manichaeism disguised as monotheism. Even if, logically speaking, Lucifer could easily see he had no chance against the omnipotent numero uno and repent so that he could forgiven, the official Biblical hermeneutics would never allow this to happen because it would undermine the foundation of their entire cosmological and moral edifice. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/12 "2020-06-06T08:08:19Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > My belief is that Christianity is a type of Manichaeism disguised as monotheism. Even if, logically speaking, Lucifer could easily see he had no chance against the omnipotent numero uno and repent so that he could forgiven, the official Biblical hermeneutics would never allow this to happen because it would undermine the foundation of their entire cosmological and moral edifice. I don’t think this is true. I don’t believe that Christian dogma says that Satan is the source of evil. He just points people in the direction of evil and encourages them along the path. But even if Satan disappeared or was redeemed, evil would still exist and some people would still seek it out. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/13 "2020-06-06T09:06:05Z")
The whole idea is illogical. What does it mean for an intelligent being to not have free will? Even if we assume that Satan doesn’t, that means God created him to be evil, which makes no sense. Not to mention if he’s intelligent then presumably in 5000 years he’s got a better plan than the one God has mapped out for him. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/14 "2020-06-06T10:08:57Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > . . . the official Biblical hermeneutics would never allow this to happen . . . hermeneutics. Now there’s another word for the [Bad case of palimpsest](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=896765) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/15 "2020-06-06T10:28:41Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The whole idea is illogical. What does it mean for an intelligent being to not have free will? Even if we assume that Satan doesn’t, that means God created him to be evil, which makes no sense. Not to mention if he’s intelligent then presumably in 5000 years he’s got a better plan than the one God has mapped out for him. Well, if he doesn’t have free will he wouldn’t have any plan other than the one ordained by YHWH, so I suppose that part works out. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/16 "2020-06-06T10:39:49Z")
But why create an evil being? That would make God complicit in evil. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/17 "2020-06-06T11:18:55Z")
I did some research on this, and it’s still ongoing, but the short answer as I read it is that Satan has no reason to repent at this time, he likes living in his sin, if Satan repented after his 1000 years inprisonment in the abyss, it would justify Satan’s system that enslaved the entire world, as it would have lead to repentance. Also I believe that Satan will eventually repent after ‘ages of ages’ of torment. Perhaps a age beyond the lake of fire. This is because God allows suffering for the purpose of repentance as expressed in Job. There would be no need to cause Satan to suffer for ages of ages if repentance was not possible. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/18 "2020-06-06T11:36:27Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But why create an evil being? That would make God complicit in evil. A being with free will is not a evil being, but God does bind people to their disobedience (Ro 11:32) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/19 "2020-06-06T12:19:55Z")
Here is some of the research I was talking about to in post #17 and into more detail specifically about the 1000 years imprisonment of Satan: > [@](#): > > The first thing I noticed it sounds very much like a sentence a judge may hand down in a court. We both know that God is a God of justice and even Satan would be entitled to justice, not because of Satan, but because of who God is. Satan must receive justice. > > One thing that this would mean is Satan is being given the opportunity to repent, not that he will, but I believe that Satan must be given such a opportunity for the purpose of justice to be served. But going further, by what Satan will do once he is released he will condemn his very kingdom he had in the process thus invalidating it, leading to God forcefully removing him by righteous decree. Let me explain further. > > The scriptures state Matt 7:22’ “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” this would also have to apply to Satan. I believe God is judging Satan by the same measure that Satan has set up the world ruling system to judge and condemn us. > We know how we treat convicts, and how they are often worse off than when they went in. The scriptures state we are all under the same sentence of death, we are all convicts under the satanic ruling system (only set free by the blood of Christ). We also know that death is not eternal as there is a resurrection, Satan seemed to know mysterious things about death even from the beginning. > > I would say by releasing Satan after 1000 years it shows that it fulfills God’s justice and righteous ruling and finds by example that Satan’s ways are corrupt and invalid. It is the ‘proof of concept’ that Satan under the judgement that Satan’s very system would impose on Satan himself would lead to a greater wrong, outright war on God and his people, thus condemning and invalidating Satan’s system (note that this is the system I’m talking about, not the entity). Once Satan’s system is proved not to work by Satan himself, even given a opportunity repent, justice is complete within Satan’s system as it ends up condemning itself by Satan’s system leading to non-repentance. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137/20 "2020-06-06T12:22:43Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > God allows suffering for the purpose of repentance as expressed in Job. Where do you get the idea that Job’s suffering has anything to do with repentance? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-satan-repented/855137.md?page=2)