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Paradise Lost: The Fall of Satan Explained — Transcript

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0:00[Music]
0:05At the heart of Christianity lies a
0:08problem. If God is all knowing and all
0:12powerful, then why does evil still
0:14exist? Welcome to Paradise Lost. Written
0:18by John Milton. It tells the story of
0:21the biblical fall of man, but curiously
0:24from Satan's perspective. I want to take
0:27you on a journey through Paradise Lost.
0:29From the cataclysmic war in heaven to
0:32the demonic legions of pandemonium and
0:35how a single apple doomed mankind.
0:40Better to reign in hell than serve in
0:43heaven. Our story begins with Satan as
0:47he awakes in a dark chasm. He is dazed
0:51trying to recollect just how he ended up
0:54in these dark depths. After a failed
0:56uprising against God, Satan and his
0:59fallen angels were defeated by the loyal
1:02armies of heaven. As a result, they were
1:05cast out, falling for nine full days
1:08into the abyss. Rising to his feet,
1:12Satan begins to come to terms with his
1:15dismal situation. His punishment is to
1:18remain in hell for eternity, far from
1:21his creator in heaven. But fortunately,
1:24he is not alone. He soon finds
1:26Beelzebub, his second in command.
1:29Reunited with his general, Satan vows
1:32that as long as he lives, he will seek
1:35to destroy all the pure things that God
1:37creates. Satan and Beelzebub unfurl
1:41their wings and fly across the bottom of
1:44the vast chasm. Below them is the
1:46charred volcanic landscape of hell. A
1:49far cry from the rolling fields of
1:52heaven that Satan once knew. But maybe
1:55paradise is a matter of perspective. The
1:59mind is its own place and in itself can
2:02make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.
2:06As the pair arrive at the center of
2:09hell, Satan rallies his legions. Out of
2:12the gloom, hordes of fallen angels
2:15emerge. And among them, the great
2:17princes of hell itself. Moolok, the
2:20bloodstained prince of cruelty. Asterf,
2:24the horned queen who reigns over
2:26humanity's most base desires. And last
2:29to arrive, Baleo, a cowardly but
2:32persuasive demon full of empty promises.
2:36along with a pantheon of other demons.
2:39These great princes will later be
2:41worshiped as false gods, many of whom
2:44appear in the Bible's Old Testament. As
2:47Satan delivers arousing speech, the
2:50fallen angels raise their flaming swords
2:52in allegiance. Yet, Satan knows that his
2:56legions are diminished. If he is to
2:58emerge victorious, Satan must resort to
3:01more cunning tactics. It is not long
3:05before the infernal armies begin to
3:07construct vast mines to extract hell's
3:11precious minerals. Soon, the entire
3:13might of the underworld is focused on a
3:16colossal building project. A grand and
3:19terrible structure paved in pure gold.
3:22This is the Cathedral of Despair,
3:25Pandemonium. With the temple finally
3:28complete, trumpets sound out across the
3:30underworld and the legions of hell
3:33descend upon their new capital. For a
3:35council of war has been summoned.
3:42Long is the way and hard that out of
3:45hell leads up to light. High upon his
3:48throne at the center of pandemonium sits
3:51Satan. Before him stand the cheering
3:54hordes of his fallen legions. The
3:56nations of hell have gathered to decide
3:58on how to get revenge on God, and they
4:02plan to do so with a vote. For all its
4:04flaws, at least hell is a democracy. The
4:08first to speak is Moolok. He calls for
4:10open war, to strike heaven with
4:13overwhelming force. His call for blood
4:16is met with applause from half the hall.
4:19But not everyone is convinced. like the
4:22demon Baleo. To him, war is futile,
4:26especially against the strength of the
4:28Archangel Michael. Instead, they should
4:31accept their fate and ignore heaven
4:34altogether. The debate continues, and
4:37the devils weigh up their options. But
4:39there is still one voice that they have
4:41not taken into account. Satan's. Silence
4:45falls over the crowd as Beelub rises to
4:48speak on his master's behalf. You see,
4:51Satan has heard a rumor that God is
4:54about to create something new, man.
4:57What's more, man will be given free
5:00will, the ability to choose between good
5:03or evil. What better vengeance than to
5:06make man sin against his creator.
5:09Excited murmurss spread through the
5:12assembly. The floor closes and the
5:14demons cast their votes. The result is
5:17unanimous.
5:20The demons depart Pandemonium and resume
5:23the construction of hell. Meanwhile,
5:25Satan journeys to the farthest edges of
5:28his domain to the gates of hell itself.
5:31Yet, access is denied. For standing
5:34before the gates are two demonic
5:37guardians. One has the upper body of a
5:40woman and the lower half of a serpent.
5:43The other is a living shadow, formless
5:46and indistinct. Satan approaches the
5:49dark figure and demands entry through
5:51the gates. The figure responds and seems
5:54to recognize him. He reveals that he is
5:57Satan's son and standing beside him is
6:00his mother, who also happens to be
6:02Satan's daughter. It's a long and messy
6:05story. But then again, this is literally
6:08Satan. What did you expect? During this
6:11awkward family reunion, Satan shares his
6:13plan to corrupt humankind. Both
6:16offspring are eager to take part. Death
6:20is thrilled at the thought of the
6:22countless souls he will one day claim.
6:24Sin is simply excited to be involved in
6:27the process and unlocks the gates. Satan
6:30is released to the realm of chaos and
6:33begins his journey to God's creation.
6:39The opening chapters of Paradise Lost
6:42document the rise of Satan and the
6:44beginning of his diabolical plan for
6:46humankind. But his journey is only just
6:50getting started. Before we go any
6:52further, I want to zoom out for a moment
6:55and look at the bigger picture. Why do
6:57we have a Christian story where Satan is
7:00the main character? And who was the man
7:02behind it? John Milton. Born in6008,
7:06John Milton was destined to live an
7:08extraordinary life, though not
7:11necessarily a happy one. From a young
7:14age, Milton showed signs of a brilliant
7:16mind, but a rebellious spirit. After his
7:20studies, Milton traveled to Italy, where
7:22he immersed himself in the works of the
7:25greats. From the classical heroes of
7:27Virgil Zenered to the vivid descriptions
7:29of hell found in Dante's Inferno. During
7:32this time, he even met the astronomer
7:34Galileo, who was under house arrest for
7:37defying church doctrine. When Milton
7:39returned to England, he found a country
7:42engulfed in political chaos. King
7:44Charles I had dissolved parliament,
7:47claiming the divine right of kings. The
7:50idea that God alone gave him the
7:52authority to rule, not the people. This
7:55rift erupted into a bloody civil war.
7:58Milton sided with Parliament and became
8:00a vocal critic of the monarchy. He even
8:04published a series of writings calling
8:06for the freedom and liberty of all men.
8:09Eventually, the civil war came to a
8:11close. The royalist forces were defeated
8:13and King Charles I was beheaded in the
8:16streets of London. The monarchy was
8:18abolished and England was declared a
8:20republic under Oliver Cromwell. But
8:23after Cromwell's death, the republic
8:25collapsed into political instability and
8:28in 1660, the monarchy was restored. As
8:32he had supported the downfall of the
8:34king, Milton was briefly a wanted man.
8:37And it was during this time where he
8:39began writing his greatest work,
8:41Paradise Lost. By this time, however,
8:44Milton was old and had become completely
8:47blind. So much so that he dictated the
8:50entire poem to his daughters line by
8:53line. Paradise Lost is very much a
8:56product of its historical context. And
8:59although Milton was eventually forgiven
9:01by the crown, we can clearly see how the
9:04turmoil of his day influenced his
9:06writing. After witnessing so much
9:08devastation, it's no surprise that he
9:11was preoccupied with the depths to which
9:14humanity could sink. The result was his
9:17masterpiece, a retelling of the fall of
9:20man and how sin first entered the world.
9:23But in all the darkness, there is hope.
9:26For Milton believed that one day God
9:28will come to save humanity. And that
9:31leads us to our next chapter.
9:35Hypocrisy. The only evil that walks
9:39invisible except to God alone. Up in
9:43heaven, the angels gather for a council
9:46of their own. At the center sits God
9:48upon his throne. And at his right hand
9:51is the Son who will one day incarnate as
9:55Jesus Christ. From their divine vantage
9:57point in heaven, they look down upon the
9:59Garden of Eden, inhabited by Adam and
10:02Eve, blissfully unaware of what is about
10:05to unfold. You see, God already sees
10:08what lies in Satan's heart, the
10:11corruption of humankind. At this point,
10:14the son asks whether God could ever
10:16forgive humanity should they choose to
10:19disobey him. God responds that
10:21forgiveness is possible, but only if a
10:24sacrifice is made. A volunteer must be
10:27sent from heaven to live and die as a
10:30human. Realizing that this is his cue,
10:32the son steps forward and offers himself
10:35as tribute. One day, he will sacrifice
10:38himself on behalf of mankind and defeat
10:41Satan once and for all. But we're
10:44getting ahead of ourselves, for paradise
10:46hasn't even been lost yet. Satan has
10:50arrived on Earth and is immediately
10:53enamored by the beauty of the nent
10:55planet. As he gazes on creation, Satan
10:59is reminded of the glory in heaven and
11:02how it was taken from him. In search of
11:04the humans, Satan journeys to the sun.
11:07To avoid detection by the angels, he
11:10disguises himself as a cherub. Now, if
11:13we are to follow descriptions in the
11:15Bible, Satan should really look like
11:17this, a winged hybrid covered in eyes.
11:21Subtle indeed. As he arrives, Satan
11:24encounters the Archangel Uriel. Striking
11:26up a pleasant conversation, he wants to
11:29learn about its newest inhabitants.
11:32Impressed by the Cherub's devotion and
11:35unable to see through its disguise,
11:37Uriel reveals that the first humans
11:40currently reside in a walled garden
11:42somewhere in the Middle East. And with
11:44that, Satan thanks Uriel and sets off to
11:47the Garden of Eden.
11:51me miserable. Which way shall I fly?
11:54Infinite wrath and infinite despair.
11:57Upon a mountaintop, Satan surveys the
12:00Garden of Eden. Below him lies a world
12:02that knows only peace. But that will
12:04change soon enough. As he climbs down,
12:08Satan is racked by an unfamiliar
12:10feeling, doubt. He knows that mankind is
12:14entirely innocent, yet they will be the
12:16ones who will suffer the most. And for
12:19what? Revenge. All Satan must do is
12:23repent to God whom he knows would
12:25forgive him. But the thought of bowing
12:28down, the thought of singing praise to
12:30someone he hates, no, that is something
12:33he simply cannot do. There will be no
12:36reconciliation. As Satan himself admits,
12:39the wounds of deadly hate have pierced
12:42so deep. Satan knows that he can never
12:45truly escape hell because the real hell
12:49is within him and misery needs company.
12:56If there was ever a time on earth where
12:59perfect harmony existed, it would be the
13:02day spent in the Garden of Eden, a
13:04paradise free from death or disease. But
13:08there is one here who does not belong. A
13:11lone seabird standing in silence. A
13:14corrant. Look closer and this is no bird
13:18at all. It's Satan in disguise. Before
13:22Satan stand two upright creatures, more
13:25noble than any animal he has seen in the
13:28garden. They are man and woman, God's
13:31most beloved creature. Yet the very
13:34sight of them fills Satan with loathing.
13:37He knows he could have loved these
13:39creatures, but he also knows what he
13:42must do. Following them through the
13:45garden, they arrive at a clearing within
13:47the forest. In front of them stands a
13:50single tree, one that bears enticing red
13:53fruit. As the couple approach, they
13:56recall a single command that God had
13:59given them. Of the tree of knowledge of
14:01good and evil, you shall not eat. What
14:04they don't realize is that Satan has
14:07been listening. Smiling to himself, a
14:09plan begins to form. That night, a group
14:13of angels are keeping watch over the
14:15garden. Above them, the angel Uriel
14:18meets with Gabriel. In hushed tones,
14:20Uriel confesses that Satan has
14:23infiltrated the garden, having deceived
14:26him with a disguise. Gabriel commands a
14:28group of angels to scout the garden with
14:31the knowledge that Satan might be able
14:34to change form. Meanwhile, Adam and Eve
14:37lie asleep. But beside their resting
14:39place, Satan crawls near them, disguised
14:43as a toad. He begins to whisper evil
14:46thoughts into her dreams. However, it is
14:49not long until he is discovered by the
14:52angels. With his disguise revealed,
14:54Satan is brought before the angel
14:56Gabriel. But then God intervenes and
14:59mysteriously commands that Satan is
15:02released. Reluctantly, the angel obliges
15:05and Satan slinks away into the night.
15:12To love or not, in this we stand or
15:16fall. The next few books of Paradise
15:19Lost step back from the main narrative
15:21and take us into a flashback, exploring
15:24the events that took place before the
15:27story. The sequence starts with a new
15:29angel, Raphael, who visits Adam and Eve
15:32and shares a meal with them over dinner.
15:34He warns them that there is an intruder
15:36in the garden and then reveals to them
15:39how he became an enemy of God. Before
15:42the creation of the world, there was no
15:44other angel more powerful and more
15:47beloved than one. But the fortunes of
15:50that nameless archangel were about to
15:52change. God had an announcement to make.
15:55You see, the father had begotten a son
15:58equal to him in every way. From that
16:01moment on, the son was to rule at his
16:04right hand, and all were to bow before
16:06him. But not everyone would. Unable to
16:10accept God's favored son, the nameless
16:13archangel was consumed with envy. He
16:16believed it was he who deserved to rule
16:19alongside God. The angel began to sew
16:21descent in heaven. He soon planned to
16:24set up a rival throne to challenge God's
16:27right to rule. From that day forward,
16:30this angel was known as the adversary or
16:33in Hebrew, Satan. Satan's words were
16:36persuasive, and a third of heaven's
16:39angels joined his rival kingdom. The
16:41trumpets of war were sounded, and cries
16:44rose up to overthrow the tyranny of God.
16:48Few dared to challenge this upstart
16:50ruler, except for one lowly angel named
16:53Abdiel, who fled to inform God of
16:56Satan's treachery. Of course, God
16:59already knew of Satan's rebellion and
17:02had prepared his most loyal angels for
17:04war. Leading the heavenly army was the
17:07Archangel Michael. The trumpets of
17:10heaven sounded and chaos erupted in
17:12paradise. Angel turned against angel as
17:15the corrupted forces of Satan clashed
17:18with the loyal defenders of heaven. It
17:20was the first time the universe had ever
17:23seen violence, and it would not be the
17:26last. The battle rages on for two days.
17:29With deadly artillery, Satan's forces
17:32nearly overwhelm Gods. But on the third
17:35day, God sent his own son into the fray,
17:38who cast Satan and his angels into the
17:41abyss. At long last, Satan and his
17:44renegade angels were driven out of
17:46heaven, falling for nine whole days into
17:50the abyss. And it is there where they
17:53would remain, at least in theory.
17:56[Music]
17:58As Raphael finishes recounting the
18:00story, Adam becomes increasingly more
18:03curious. His questioning grows more
18:05persistent, and Raphael begins to worry
18:08about humanity's insatiable thirst for
18:11knowledge. With the war in heaven now
18:13over, God is now ready to create the
18:17physical universe. Over the course of
18:19six days, God speaks the cosmos into
18:22being, beginning with light and adding
18:24something new each day. But on the sixth
18:27day came God's masterpiece, the creation
18:30of mankind, forming the first man from
18:33clay, God shaped him according to his
18:36own image and likeness. After breathing
18:38life into him, he named him Adam.
18:41Despite the beauty of the garden, Adam
18:44began to grow lonely and in need of a
18:47companion. So God put him in a deep
18:50sleep and took out one of his ribs and
18:53from it fashioned the first woman, Eve.
18:56Their union was blissful and perfect,
18:59totally untouched by sin. What's more,
19:02humanity was granted a special gift,
19:04free will, the ability to choose between
19:07good or evil. They were free to roam the
19:10garden of Eden. But there was only one
19:13rule. Do not eat the fruit from the tree
19:16of knowledge.
19:19Revenge at first though sweet bitter ear
19:23long back on itself recoils. 8 days
19:27after his banishment, Satan has been
19:29searching for a way back into the Garden
19:32of Eden. to pass through undetected.
19:34Satan disguises himself as a black mist
19:37and drifts silently back into the
19:40garden. As he passes, he surveys the
19:43various animals, deciding on which one
19:46to inhabit. For his plan to work, he'll
19:49need a creature known for its subtlety
19:52and cunning. At last, he will show God
19:55just how painful rejection truly is.
19:58Meanwhile, Adam and Eve are tending the
20:01garden. Today, however, Eve suggests
20:03that for efficiency, they should split
20:05up and work separately for the day. Adam
20:08is hesitant. Aware of Raphael's warning
20:12about Satan being nearby, but Eve
20:15insists she'll recognize a fallen angel
20:18when she sees one. Adam reluctantly
20:20agrees, and the pair go their separate
20:23ways. Unfortunately, Eve is full of bad
20:27ideas like this. You can tell this poem
20:30is a product of its time. Satan has been
20:33watching and has noticed this perfect
20:36opportunity. As Eve approaches Satan's
20:39hiding spot, he is momentarily stunned.
20:42Struck by her innocence and beauty again
20:45of its time. Eventually, Satan composes
20:48himself and slithers out to greet her.
20:50He begins to shower Eve with praise,
20:53complimenting her on her beauty. Eve is
20:56of course flattered but also surprised.
20:58In her short time in Eden, she knows
21:00that animals aren't meant to talk. Well,
21:03the serpent explains he has gained the
21:06ability to talk after eating from a
21:08certain tree with delicious fruit. Eve
21:12immediately realizes what he means. She
21:14declines his offer, but remains puzzled.
21:17The serpent persists and with a sly
21:20smile begins to plant doubt in her mind.
21:23He reveals to her that God is lying and
21:26wants to keep her ignorant and obedient.
21:30She carefully plucks an apple from the
21:32tree and holds it gently in her hand and
21:36then delicately takes a bite.
21:42Minutes later, Adam finds Eve in a
21:44grove. In the meantime, it appears that
21:47she has helped herself to more and more
21:49of the delicious fruit. Adam is
21:51horrified. Eve has done the one thing
21:54she knew to never do. But Eve feels
21:58differently. She tells Adam that her
22:00eyes have been opened as if a veil has
22:03been lifted from her vision. And now she
22:06wants Adam to join her so that they
22:08might live together as equals. There is
22:11no going back for Eve. And Adam knows
22:14it. He also knows that he cannot bear to
22:16live without her. If she is going down,
22:19then so will he. Adam takes the fruit
22:21from Eve's hand and joins his doomed
22:25lover. The moment he bites into the
22:28fruit, it is as if the world has
22:30sharpened into focus. A flood of new
22:33sensations enter Adam's body. Greed,
22:36envy, lust. And it is at that moment
22:40when God shows up.
22:44Did I request thee, maker, from my clay
22:47to mold me man? Elsewhere in the garden,
22:50a voice calls out for Adam and Eve. It
22:53is the son who already knows what has
22:56just taken place. Adam immediately
22:59blames Eve, and Eve weeps in regret,
23:02accusing Adam of hypocrisy. But the
23:05damage has already been done, and now
23:08they must be punished. But first, the
23:11son's eyes catch movement in the
23:13undergrowth. a serpent for allowing
23:15itself to be used as a vessel of evil.
23:18The creature is cursed. It shall crawl
23:20on its belly for the rest of its days.
23:23The son then turns to Eve and declares
23:26her punishment. She and all her female
23:29descendants will suffer the pain of
23:31childbirth. Then the son turns to Adam.
23:34He and all his male descendants shall
23:37toil for survival. And after a lifetime
23:40of toil and sorrow, they will both grow
23:43old and die.
23:46On the other side of the cosmos, Satan
23:49returns to pandemonium triumphant. Sin
23:52and death rush to greet their father.
23:55While he has been away, they have been
23:57busy and have constructed a grand bridge
24:00stretching from the gates of hell into
24:03the mortal realm. Seated upon his golden
24:06throne, Satan addresses his loyal
24:08subjects. But his joy is short-lived.
24:12For in that very moment, every demon is
24:14transformed into a snake. All that
24:17remains is his own personal hell.
24:23Live well, how long or short permit, to
24:26heaven. Adam and Eve are now miserable.
24:29Having come to terms with the
24:30consequences of their actions, they
24:33begin to repent and pray, but they know
24:36full well that they're no longer worthy
24:38of paradise. To escort them out is the
24:42Archangel Michael, who leads them
24:44towards the entrance of the garden.
24:47Before they leave, Michael reveals to
24:49Adam a series of visions stretching
24:52across the history of the Bible. From
24:55the great flood that will wash away
24:57humanity to how the infamous tower of
24:59Babel will be thwarted by the invention
25:02of language, Adam laments at the
25:05suffering his descendants will endure.
25:07All set into motion by his single act of
25:10disobedience. But in the darkness, there
25:14is hope. For Michael also reveals that
25:17God himself will one day come to save
25:20humanity. Through his resurrection,
25:22Satan will be defeated and paradise will
25:25be regained. Adam and Eve arrive at the
25:28gates of Eden. Behind them, the entrance
25:31is sealed shut to be guarded by Michael.
25:34And so, the first humans leave paradise
25:37and embark on a new journey into the
25:40brave new world that lies before them.
25:47And that is Paradise Lost. It's a story
25:50full of fascinating characters brought
25:53to life through countless artworks, but
25:56especially the haunting etchings of
25:58Gustav Dor and the otherworldly visions
26:01of William Blake. And at the center of
26:03it all is, of course, Satan. Unlike the
26:07traditional medieval picture of Satan,
26:09who is this clovenhoo monster, Paradise
26:12Lost presents a figure who is far more
26:14human, one who experiences emotions like
26:18envy, doubt, and pride. Satan may not be
26:21the hero, but he is certainly one of
26:24literature's greatest villains, a
26:26charismatic figure with the potential
26:28for good, but ultimately destroyed by
26:31his own pride. Shortly after it was
26:34published in 1667, Paradise Lost became
26:37an immediate success. It's a fantastic
26:40read, if a little dense at times. I
26:43really hope this video inspires you to
26:45pick up a copy. Oh, and did I mention it
26:48has a sequel, Paradise Regained?
26:50Paradise Lost remains one of the
26:52greatest works about Satan and the
26:54afterlife, but it isn't the only one.
26:57You see, long before Paradise Lost,
27:00there was Dante's Inferno, a haunting
27:03tour of hell written by the wayward
27:05Italian poet Dante Aligieri. In fact,
27:09I've made a video about it, as well as
27:11Dante's Divine Comedy Atarge. Watch here
27:14to find out more.
27:19Hey, thanks for watching. I had a great
27:22time making this and I hope you enjoyed
27:24it as well. If you like this video and
27:26want to see more, why not subscribe? A
27:28like and a comment also go a really long
27:30way. Oh, and thank you to the patrons
27:33who support the channel. It really means
27:35the world. This has got to be one of my
27:37longest videos to date. And I just
27:39wanted to take this time to thank you.
27:42Thank you for your viewership. Over the
27:44last 6 months or so, I've been making
27:46videos more regularly again. And
27:48honestly, I've been blown away by your
27:50supportive comments. It goes such a long
27:52way, honestly. So, thank you. Anyway, I
27:55look forward to seeing you next time.
27:58Goodbye.
27:59[Music]

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This page contains the full transcript of Paradise Lost: The Fall of Satan Explained by hochelaga, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 3,981 words across 587 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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