"They that see thee, [Lucifer,] shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the houses of his prisoners?" Isaiah 14:16, 17
Pride and arrogance always brings shame and disgrace. In The Divine Comedy, Satan is not found in the lowest circle sitting on a throne in power and might, but trapped in a prison of his own making. There is horror for Dante, but out of disgust more than fear. The darkest demon is revealed to be nothing more than a pitiful fool frozen in a cage built by his own hands (or, in this case, tears). It is, in a way, anti-climactic.
These verses in Isaiah paint an interesting picture for us. For many, Satan is the source of some kind of dread. Whether you recognize him as your enemy, try to treat him with indifference, or worship him as a god, he is the cause of much fear and trembling, of much darkness and terror.
Ironic, then, are these verses. Like God, Satan is an unseen presence in our lives. Now, when Isaiah saw God revealed on His throne "high and lifted up," when he stepped into the unveiled presence of pure Reality and could see all things clear, his heart was crushed with the truth that that presence revealed (Isaiah 6:5). Satan's revealing, however, comes off as more of an awkward moment than anything else. When the soul that is farthest from God is laid bare before our eyes, we will squint to try and focus, and exclaim, "That's it?" The ninth circle will be the ultimate anti-climax, the only possible end for all-consuming pride.
Pride (like Satan) may seem powerful, dreadful, and even attractive. However, as Isaiah saw the anti-climactic end of pride incarnate, and Dante saw the "idiot and slobbering horror" (as Ms. Sayers put it), so we shall know the gravity of the fall and piteousness of the end of pride.
Pride and arrogance always brings shame and disgrace. In The Divine Comedy, Satan is not found in the lowest circle sitting on a throne in power and might, but trapped in a prison of his own making. There is horror for Dante, but out of disgust more than fear. The darkest demon is revealed to be nothing more than a pitiful fool frozen in a cage built by his own hands (or, in this case, tears). It is, in a way, anti-climactic.
These verses in Isaiah paint an interesting picture for us. For many, Satan is the source of some kind of dread. Whether you recognize him as your enemy, try to treat him with indifference, or worship him as a god, he is the cause of much fear and trembling, of much darkness and terror.
Ironic, then, are these verses. Like God, Satan is an unseen presence in our lives. Now, when Isaiah saw God revealed on His throne "high and lifted up," when he stepped into the unveiled presence of pure Reality and could see all things clear, his heart was crushed with the truth that that presence revealed (Isaiah 6:5). Satan's revealing, however, comes off as more of an awkward moment than anything else. When the soul that is farthest from God is laid bare before our eyes, we will squint to try and focus, and exclaim, "That's it?" The ninth circle will be the ultimate anti-climax, the only possible end for all-consuming pride.
Pride (like Satan) may seem powerful, dreadful, and even attractive. However, as Isaiah saw the anti-climactic end of pride incarnate, and Dante saw the "idiot and slobbering horror" (as Ms. Sayers put it), so we shall know the gravity of the fall and piteousness of the end of pride.
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