Verse
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.- Luke 10:18
Meaning of Luke 10:18
The verse Luke 10:18 spoke by Jesus to His disciples after they reported on their early miracles. The words ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’ means that Jesus is referring to his authority over the demons as well as Satan, who is in charge over them. In other words, Luke 10:18 also means that Jesus is foreshadowing or prophesying how Satan will face his end in the world and how all the evil will then be destroyed, which is mentioned in the book of Revelation by John, the apostle. Hence, Luke 10:18 is one of the powerful statements of Jesus’ divine authority and his victory over the forces of darkness. For Christians across the world, the verse is a reminder that he or she can find hope and strength during challenges.
Interpretations of Luke 10:18
The verse Luke 10:18 is one of the famous words spoken by Jesus that asserts His authority. A few interpretations are given below.
Interpretation #1 The verse is related to the past
In this interpretation, the reader might believe that Jesus is excited about the accomplishments of His disciples both and the seventy-two disciples who came with good reports. Hence, he or she understands that Jesus is expressing His happiness by recalling how Satan was cast out from Heaven and perhaps the time ‘hell’ was created. Hence, the verse ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’ could mean that the event may have occurred before the creation.
Interpretation #2 Heavenly Father transferred the authority to Jesus
Here the reader believes that Jesus is claiming authority and power over everything on earth as well as the entire creation. This interpretation is taken as per the verse’s context, from verses 21 to 23, after Jesus is calling out people who are rebellious and not receptive to Jesus’ words and listening to the good report from the seventy-two in the previous verses. Hence the verse ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’ here imply that Jesus has the authority over everything as Satan is not in the same realm to challenge it.
Interpretation #4 The verse is Jesus’ vision of future
Here the reader believes that Jesus is predicting the future of Satan as written in Revelation Chapter 20, verses 1 to 20. While the book of Revelation was written by John late in his life, the reader compares the verses and connects it to the verse, ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’. Hence, he or she considers that Jesus is predicting the future while emphasizing His authority over Satan.
Interpretation #3 Jesus tells the metaphorical defeat of Satan
As Jewish were looking for a Messiah to deliver them from oppression, Jesus indirectly tells the said verse to reassure the people of the Kingdom of God. Hence, in this interpretation, ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’ means that Jesus is asserting His Power over Satan. While celebrating the success of the seventy-two disciples, Jesus is also reassuring the Jewish that He has already seen Satan’s defeat, and events such as the disciples casting out demons using the name of ‘Jesus’ is the proof.
Historical background of Luke 10:18
The Gospel of Luke is the third book in the New Testament and was likely written between 70 A.D and 90 A.D. Luke writes about Jesus Christ’s life, teachings, death, and resurrection. The ministry of Jesus takes place between 27-29 A.D and 30-32 A.D. The Book of Luke was written while Jewish provinces were still under Roman occupation. In Chapter 10 of Luke, Jesus sent seventy-two of his followers to share God’s message on behalf of Jesus. Hence, Luke 10:18 is a verse attributed to Jesus. Here the disciples had shared the good report with Jesus, and in response, Jesus told them that actions had caused changes in the heavenly realms. The verse is also considered one of the most powerful prophetic words spoken by Jesus.
Literary Devices of Luke 10:18
The verse Luke 10:18 is one of the shorter verses written in the book of Luke. A few literary devices in Luke 10:18 are given below.
Theme – The major themes of Luke 10:18 is power, authority, and victory. The minor themes include prophecy and declaration.
Assonance – The verse has repeated use of vowel sounds, and most are not in quick succession. For example, the sound of /a/, the sound of /aw/, and the sound of /e/ in ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’.
Consonance – The verse also has consonant sounds in repetition without quick succession. For example, the sound of /d/, the sound of /l/, the sound of /n/, and the sound of /t/ in ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’.
Alliteration – The verse has one repeated consonant sound at the start of the word in quick repetition. For example, the sound of /f/ in ‘And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven’.
Simile – The phrase ‘Satan as lightning’ is a good example of a simile as Satan is compared to the lightning during his fall from heaven.