All Knowing?

[Gabriel]

Here is a question that I always wondered about and just wanted to see what you brothers/sisters think. Often times there is a phrase that goes " Satan knows so and so's weakness" or "Satan know that so and so is trying to serve Jehovah." Well, my question is....how much information does satan has on each individual? Because in some way it almost makes him appear to be "all knowing" I know that that just cant be the case. Does he really have a data base of each individual on the face of the earth? whatcha think?

[Berean]

Well, if human beings are able to build databases of millions of people, why wouldn't Satan be able to do it? I mean, he has lots of minions, and he is still a supernatural creature...

[Shibboleth]

He can't read your mind, but he has had over 6,000 years to refine his tactics and he knows our weaknesses.

[DoubtingThomas]

I remember reading a WT article that stated Satan can not read our minds. I forget what the supporting evidence or scripture citations were that were used to support this idea. But I like to pray out loud to Jehovah so that Satan and his demonic angels can hear what is in my mind and heart when I am praying to Jehovah. I want Satan to know that my full support and allegiance is for Jehovah and His Messianic Kingdom - in spite of all my weaknesses which Satan must be aware of and try to work on against me.

[Jeshurun]

I also pray out loud, for the same reasons as you, DT.

Satan is definitely not all-knowing, but he knows an awful lot about how we function. I believe that Satan can delve deep into people's minds if they open up their minds to him, as in spiritism. He can enter people, and leave whenever he wants, as long as those people are susceptible. If the demons at one time had the capacity to materialize as humans, then they certainly are aware of everything there is to know about how humans function. They must also be masters at body language, facial expressions, and can probably sense things going on in our nervous systems.

The good news is, Satan and his cronies cannot read our hearts, only Jehovah.

[Nash]

Satan is very studious. He and his minions are definitely watching us, and are always looking for a way to make Jehovah's Witnesses break their integrity. If he knows that we are weak in a certain area, I personally am quite convinced that he throws things in our way to stumble us and to try to trip us up. I don't think that he could read our mind, but, on the other hand, our actions, good and bad, are completely visible to him and his demons.

Nash

[Nambo]

Iam not convinced that Satan cannot read our minds if he wanted to.
For a start we recently had on the news that man can at least determine roughly what a persons motives are going to be based on some sort of Brain scan.
And what are human thougts anyway?, just electrical and chemical impulses that must allways surely take a given path for a given thought, Iam sure a bit of shin and bone cannot stop Satan peering inside if he wants to?

I also gave that real to me, but ridiculed by others on the old board of when I was reading some letter on a UFO site that claimed to be written by "Good" aliens, and this letter was asking mankind if they where ready for, and wanted said Aliens to reveal themselves to us.
This letter, at the end said, you dont have to do anything, just think yes or no, and at the eact moment I felt as if the back of my head was opened and a warm beam was firing into my brain, it was frightening, I instantly thought or said Jehovah and turned that website off.

But maybe Jehovahs angels give us protection, unless as Lou says, for those that actively seek contact with the Demons.

Whatever, even if he cannot read our minds, Iam sure we are all kept a close eye on.
This explains how spirits are able to recount presice details of a dead persons life to grieving relatives at spiritualistic churches, how you can take an object such as a wedding ring to a genuine fortune teller, and said teller can tell you exactly who that ring belongs to.

[Watchful Soul]

I wonder if Satan watches all of us? Since about a third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against Jehovah, I feel that they have divided us all up amongst themselves. This is a scary idea!

[Jeshurun]

I wonder if Satan watches all of us? Since about a third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against Jehovah, I feel that they have divided us all up amongst themselves. This is a scary idea![/b]

No need to be afraid of them Watchful Soul, just be careful of them. You have the gift of insight. Your God is much more powerful, and according to what you said, for every demon, there are 2 angels.

Agape
Lou

[Kenneth]

The devil has had 6,000 years of history to study man; and as Gods people we are a special target. He has the rest of humanity in the palm of his hand and would like nothing better than for us to join them. So yes he is watching us, the bible is clear on that point. Dealing with Satan though is a bit like crossing a busy road; we are aware of the traffic so we use a crossing or find a safe place to cross to the other side. We rarely worry about the amount of traffic as we have developed the skills to negotiate it. The bible is clear as to the Devils’ Machinations so we just avoid them as we would the traffic.

[Kenneth]

Double post

[Gabriel]

Its still very interesting to me how they can be very profecient. And again whatever information system that satan uses to keep an eye on us cant be as Jehovah's. So again my puzzlement is how can he know everything about everyone? Know their exact weaknesses,stengths, and whatever else? seems like to me he should have a bit of a problem in this area. After all, even with the the 3rd of the angels that followed him....they definately wasnt the Majority of Jehovahs angelic host. So again he should...to me anyway....have some effeciency problems.....or in other words be "short handed". Also going to another point. We know that the anoited who fall away are replaced. Was satan replaced by another angel to take his place?

[Shibboleth]

We know that the anoited who fall away are replaced. Was satan replaced by another angel to take his place?[/b]

There have been some speculations that before he was known as Satan he was the watcher over earth. He was the one that was the main angel over it I believe. When he "fell", Jehovah instituted a new arrangement and that was Jesus and the 144,000. These would be the new "watchers" or rulers over the earth. Now I do not know if it really was, the angel that is known as, Satan's job to oversee the earth and the creations. I did alot of research on the subject and the bible just doesn't tell you all.

I suggest doing a wikipedia search and also to look into the scriptures as much as possible to get the answer. Alot of it is speculation, since we do not know all the events that happened in heaven and what the stations were.

[Cephalon]

Satan is very studious. He and his minions are definitely watching us, and are always looking for a way to make Jehovah's Witnesses break their integrity. If he knows that we are weak in a certain area, I personally am quite convinced that he throws things in our way to stumble us and to try to trip us up. I don't think that he could read our mind, but, on the other hand, our actions, good and bad, are completely visible to him and his demons.

Nash[/b]

I completely agree with your thoughts here Nash. And when satan doesn't know our weakness, he throw things at us (challenges, sex, vices, temptations, greed etc) and wait to see how we react and find our weakness, then use it against us.

[James]

[quote]
Iam not convinced that Satan cannot read our minds if he wanted to.
For a start we recently had on the news that man can at least determine roughly what a persons motives are going to be based on some sort of Brain scan.

That's why I always wear a hat made from aluminum foil. I learned that from the "Saturday Night Live" show.

LOL,
James



Seriously, I don't think Satan or the demons can read our thoughts and my understanding is that they no longer have the ability to enter or possess our bodies. I may be wrong, but I thought that it was explained that when the gifts of the Spirit were done away with in the first century, such as expelling demons, then the demons were prevented from entering people.

[Nash]

I wonder if Satan watches all of us? Since about a third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against Jehovah, I feel that they have divided us all up amongst themselves. This is a scary idea!</span>[/b]

I have no doubt that we are being watched. 1 Corinthians 4:9 says that <span style="color:#ff0000">"we have become a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men." If angels are watching us, then I would think that the demons as well as Satan are watching us.


And when Satan doesn&#39;t know our weakness, he throw things at us (challenges, sex, vices, temptations, greed, etc.) and waits to see how we react and find our weakness, then uses it against us.[/b]

Interesting point. I never quite thought about it that way.

Nash

[Molly]

Good Morning All-

Just thought I&#39;d add that while Satan may have observed our weaknesses, James tells us we are drawn out by our own desires, which can lead to sin. This doesn&#39;t necessarily originate as something bad, such lonliness, but it can result in a solution to the problem that is sin. Satan would certainly love to take advantage of our normal needs with a solution that would be sin.

On the other side of the coin is Jehovah&#39;s assurance that (1Cor. 10: 13,14): "No temptation has taken you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation, he will also make the way out , in order for you to be able to endure it." So, Jehovah steps in to assist us in thwarting Satan&#39;s efforts when it&#39;s overwhelming to us or we cannot see a solution.

Molly

[Gabriel]

Here is something else that I cant quite figure out. Most studies that i&#39;ve done enternet searches and such, says that satan was the highest ranking angel in fact, was second only to God himself. I would have thought Jesus the FIRST BORN of all creation held that position. In fact he would have to since he was God&#39;s master worker ....creating all other things. Am I right on this?

[Berean]

Here is something else that I cant quite figure out. Most studies that i&#39;ve done enternet searches and such, says that satan was the highest ranking angel in fact, was second only to God himself. I would have thought Jesus the FIRST BORN of all creation held that position. In fact he would have to since he was God&#39;s master worker ....creating all other things. Am I right on this?[/b]
How did they arrive at that conclusion? As far as I know, Satan&#39;s specific rank isn&#39;t mentioned anywhere in the Bible, so it sounds to me like guesswork, perhaps based on non-canonical writings.

[James]

<div class='quotemain'>Here is something else that I cant quite figure out. Most studies that i&#39;ve done enternet searches and such, says that satan was the highest ranking angel in fact, was second only to God himself. I would have thought Jesus the FIRST BORN of all creation held that position. In fact he would have to since he was God&#39;s master worker ....creating all other things. Am I right on this?[/b]
How did they arrive at that conclusion? As far as I know, Satan&#39;s specific rank isn&#39;t mentioned anywhere in the Bible, so it sounds to me like guesswork, perhaps based on non-canonical writings.
[/b][/quote]


Don&#39;t forget Jesus is Jehovahs&#39; only-begotten son and he helped create all things in Heaven and on earth including the angels. So Jesus helped create the angel who turned into Satan. I think that shows who is highest in the heavens next to Jehovah

James

[Nambo]

<div class='quotemain'><div class='quotemain'>Here is something else that I cant quite figure out. Most studies that i&#39;ve done enternet searches and such, says that satan was the highest ranking angel in fact, was second only to God himself. I would have thought Jesus the FIRST BORN of all creation held that position. In fact he would have to since he was God&#39;s master worker ....creating all other things. Am I right on this?[/b]
How did they arrive at that conclusion? As far as I know, Satan&#39;s specific rank isn&#39;t mentioned anywhere in the Bible, so it sounds to me like guesswork, perhaps based on non-canonical writings.
[/b][/quote]


Don&#39;t forget Jesus is Jehovahs&#39; only-begotten son and he helped create all things in Heaven and on earth including the angels. So Jesus helped create the angel who turned into Satan. I think that shows who is highest in the heavens next to Jehovah

James
[/b][/quote]


And its probably also based on the fact that most religions consider Jesus is God so he cannot also be the firstborn as well.