When God's written word was given through the Hebrew prophets, Satan studied with diligence the messages concerning the Messiah. Carefully he traced the words that outlined with unmistakable clearness Christ's work among men as a suffering sacrifice and as a conquering king. In the parchment rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures he read that the One who was to appear was to be "brought as a lamb to the slaughter," "His visage . . . so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Isaiah 53:7; 52:14. The promised Saviour of humanity was to be "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; . . . smitten of God, and afflicted;" yet He was also to exercise His mighty power in order to "judge the poor of the people." He was to "save the children of the needy," and "break in pieces the oppressor." Isaiah 53:3, 4; Psalm 72:4. These prophecies caused Satan to fear and tremble; yet he relinquished not his purpose to thwart, if possible, the merciful provisions of Jehovah for the redemption of the lost race. He determined to blind the eyes of the people, so far as might be possible, to the real significance of the Messianic prophecies, 687 in order to prepare the way for the rejection of Christ at His coming.

Lige fra den dag, Herren sagde til slangen i Eden: "Jeg sætter fjendskab mellem dig og kvinden, mellem din sæd og hendes sæd" (1Mos. 3,15), har Satan været klar over, at han aldrig kunne få denne verdens indbyggere fuldstændig i sin magt. Da Adam og hans sønner begyndte at udføre de ceremonielle ofringer, som Gud indførte som et forbillede på den kommende forløser, så Satan heri et symbol på forbindelsen mellem jord og Himmel. I de lange århundreder, som er forløbet siden da, har han ustandselig bestræbt sig på at afbryde denne forbindelse. Han har arbejdet utrætteligt, for at menneskene skulle få en forkert opfattelse af Gud og danne sig et forkert indtryk af de offerhandlinger, som pegede fremad til Frelseren; og hans bestræbelser er lykkedes blandt størstedelen af menneskeheden.