Is Satan God in Judaism?

 

A Journey Through the Shadows of Hebrew Theology

In the radical and controversial idea circulating in esoteric forums and fringe literature, it is claimed that Satan is not an adversary, but a manifestation of God — even that YHWH is the source of evil — while Satan serves the divine plan as an accuser.

I. Satan the Accuser or Divine Prosecutor?

In traditional Judaism, based on the Tanakh, Talmud, and rabbinic texts, Satan is portrayed as a servant of God who hinders one’s spiritual service. In Job 1:8–12, Satan appears as a heavenly prosecutor — “testing Job’s faith with God’s permission.” The Hebrew term ha-satan means “the adversary,” describing a role rather than a proper name.

II. God as Source of Good and Evil: Isaiah 45:7

"I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil (ra); I, YHWH, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

Mystics and critics use this verse to argue that the God of Israel claims to be the creator of both good and evil.

• God is absolute — without rival. All — including evil — is under His control.
  This stands in contrast to the Christian dualistic view of God vs. Satan.

III. Kabbalah and the Sitra Achra: God’s Other Side

In Kabbalah, especially the Zohar, we find the Sitra Achra (“the other side”), an opposing realm to holiness, which also emanates from the Divine. Figures like Samael (a fallen angel linked to the Kabbalistic Satan) and Lilith (his consort) appear as forces meant to test the world.

Some kabbalists (like Isaac Luria) teach that evil is a residue (qelipah), a "shell" to be overcome in order to reveal divine light.

IV. Gnostic Theories and Their Projection onto Judaism

Gnostic texts such as the Gospel of Judas and Apocryphon of John portray the God of the Old Testament as a lower, ignorant, or even evil being — the Demiurge — sometimes associated with Yaldabaoth, the "blind god" unaware of a higher divine source.

These views influenced Gnostic Christianity and modern Luciferianism, where Satan is seen as the “light-bringer” and the Biblical God as a tyrant to be resisted.

Conclusion

No. In mainstream Judaism, Satan is a subordinate prosecutor, not a divine being or object of veneration. Mystical interpretations, heretical deviations, and Gnostic readings may reframe Satan as part of the divine plan, but these do not represent core Jewish doctrine.