Diabolus

Diabolus.

Diabolus is the Devil as defined in Bunyan’s marginal note. Diabolus is first introduced as “king of the Blacks or Negros”. I wish to pre-emp any questions which readers might pose about these words. Bunyan is not making racist remarks.George Offor who edited the Banner of Truth three volume version of Bunyan’s works explains that this is a reference to the slave trade. He refers to tribal kings who capture their tribal enemies and send them into slavery for money. This is what Satan does. He captures souls, and sells them into slavery to sin. (John 8 v 34 “Whoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”). Compare it with Joseph who was sold by his brothers to some Arab traders for money, and became a slave in Egypt. Even today we read about children being captured and sold into slavery. Josephine Kamm in her book “Men who served Africa” writes on p 14 “The supply of slaves seemed endless, for chiefs in the interior of Africa engaged in tribal warfare solely for the purpose of capturing prisoners, driving them to the coast, and selling them to the Europeans. Large tracts of the country were being laid waste, and thousands of innocent, peace-loving Africans were being sold into slavery by their own rulers”.


Diabolus commits an act of treason by planning to murder the King’s Son so that he can inherit the town of Mansoul (See Rev 12 v 1 -6). “The first founder and Builder of this town was Shaddai (God, see Genesis 17 v 1-2 where El Shaddai is translated as Almighty God). He built it for his own pleasure, and it was beautiful. It was so beautiful that some said the gods came down to look at it and rejoiced”. In Genesis we read “God saw that it was good”. (Genesis 1 v 4, 10,12). The allegory continues with the spiritual rebellion in High Places.. Ephesians 6 v 12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. The sequence of events starts with “Well, upon a time there was one Diabolus, a mighty giant”. He had started well, and had been given much glory in heaven. But he showed himself in his true colours by wanting more. He started as an angel. And fell becoming a fallen angel. Isaiah 14 v 12 says “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which ididst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the starts of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit”.
The act of treason was spotted by The King (Shaddai) and Prince (Emmanuel) who can see everything and Diabolus (and his devilish companions) are banished from the royal court. “this done, he banishes them from the court, turns them down into the horrible pits, as fast bound in chains, never more to expect the least favour from his hands, but to abide the judegement that he had appointed, and that forever”. How is this arrest to be effected? By Christ’s death on the cross. Satan’s power is curbed because Christ is stronger. Compare it with Rev 20 v 1. “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,. And Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled”. After the redemptive death of Christ on the cross, the Gospel or church age commenced. Satan’s power was much reduced and this enables the gospel to be preached to the whole world. The key to the rest of the narrative is that Diabolus is so angry and jealous after this banishment that he takes out his anger on the city of Mansoul. Diabolus has been foiled in his attempt to kill the Son of God so he decides to steal the city of Mansoul.


Diabolus is a flatterer and a deceiver as shown by these words from his persuasion of Mansoul (compare with the conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden).

“Gentlemen of the famous town of Mansoul, ..I will assure you it is not myself, but you- not mine, but your advantage that I seek by what I now do, as will full well be made manifest by that I have opened my mind unto you”. LIES.

“For, gentlemen, I am (to tell you the truth) come to show you how you may obtain great and ample deliverance from a bondage that, unawares to yourselves, you are captivated and enslaved under”. LIES

“Tis not true, for that wherewith he hath hitherto awed you shall not come to pass, nor be fulfilled, though you do the thing that he hath forbidden” Lies. See Genesis 3 v 4 “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die”. LIES.

“Touching his laws, this I say further, they are both unreasonable, intricate, and intolerable. …there is great difference and disproportion betwixt the life and an apple”. LIES

“that fruit you are forbidden to eat of ( if you are forbidden any) is that, and that alone, which is able , by your eating to minister to you a good as yet unknown by you. This is manifest by the very name of the tree; it is called the tree of knowledge of good and evil;”. LIES and Flattery.

The inhabitants of Mansoul believe the lies of Diabolus, and let him onto the city. Disaster! Sin has now entered the world.