Why Do People Mix Milton and Dante With Scripture?

Subtitle:

Are there really works of fiction that people think are Christian doctrine? How did Medieval poetry become become a Christian teaching?

Synopsis:

Over the centuries, fictional ideas from two different authors have slipped into Christian tradition. While the authors did rely on the Bible for inspiration, what they wrote were works of imagination. Unfortunately, parts of their stories have come to be believed as actual Christian doctrine.

Key Takeaways:

Many of our ideas about the Devil and his rebellion come from John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
Many of our ideas about Hell and eternal punishment come from Dante’s Inferno.
Too often, Christians read the Bible with the ideas from these stories in mind and think the Bible supports them.
These stories are so much a part of Christian culture that ideas from them are often taught as fact.

The Deep Details For Those That Want To Know:

If you have read other articles on this site, you will have come to the conclusion that not all of the things you may have learned in Sunday school or were taught from the pulpit came from God or the scriptures. Folklore, superstitions, and ideas from pagan religions are sometimes adopted by Christians and become a part of their theology. Some of these non-scriptural ideas are recent additions to Christian teachings while others slipped into our theology from the distant past. This article will examine two cases from the latter group.

Most of the articles on this website address teachings by a specific topic, but in this article we are going to cover a multitude of ideas that have come from two sources: Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno. In both cases these books were written as fictional literature, but they have been so well-read over the centuries that a few of the ideas that came from the telling of these stories have crept into Christian beliefs. This has happened so often that many who have heard these ideas are not even aware that they come from works of fiction, rather than scripture. It is likely that you have heard at least some of these before and may have even thought they were found somewhere in the Bible. Most of us have.

Before addressing the specific teachings, it will be helpful to learn a little about each of these books.

Milton’s Paradise Lost

John Milton’s book is a retelling of Satan’s rebellion against God and the fall of man. It was written in English and published in 1667. The story weaves Biblical concepts into an emotionally driven story. Much of what we think we know about the devil and his motives actually comes from this tale, not scripture.

Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s Inferno is the first of three works known as “The Divine Comedy”. It was written from about 1308 to 1321 by the Italian, Dante Alighieri. Dante tells the story in first person as he journeys through the three realms of the dead: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). The story is full of references to both the medieval Christian world view and pagan ideas. Many of the ideas about how mortals will suffer in Hell or what Hell is like come from this work.

Theological Ideas That Have Come From These Books

What follows is a list of ideas and concepts that came from these two books, but that are not supported by scripture. We will give a brief explanation of each.

Ideas and teachings that originated with Paradise Lost

Satan as God’s Near-Equal Rival- Many people believe that Satan has a tremendous amount of supernatural power and has incredible abilities that are almost equal to God’s. Without even realizing it, some people believe so strongly in this idea that their faith comes closer to a Dualistic religion (two supreme powers in conflict) than monotheistic Christianity. Often, they view everything from history to everyday happenings as being a part of the battle between God and Satan. While there is no doubt that the conflict exists, too much emphasis on this view defines God as the opponent of Satan instead the omnipotent Creator of all things. This view is also in direct conflict with scriptural verses like Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14, which state that God has already overcome the power of the devil.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.(Colossians 2:15 ESV)

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,(Hebrews 2:14 ESV)

A War in Heaven With One Third of the Angels – As Christians we have been taught about the war in Heaven between the devil and a third of the angels. It might shock you to learn that most of these teachings come from Milton, not scripture. In Paradise Lost this story takes place before the Fall of Man. Where Milton got the idea seems to come from Revelation 12:7–9 and Revelation 12:3-4.

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4 ESV)

While these two sections of scripture do seem to align with Milton’s story, they do not fit his timeline. If one reads Revelation 12 in its entirety, all of this takes place just before or after the birth of Christ. Some that believe that what is recorded in Revelation took place before the fall of man would argue that this was a historical vision received by the Apostle, John and he intermixed it with visions about the birth of Jesus creating a jumbled timeline. Opposing views make the case that all of this belongs where it is in the Revelation timeline and the vision is more about the end time. Regardless, there is no indication that any of this happened in the way Milton described it in his work of fiction.

Questionable timelines: John Milton vs. John the Apostle

Another clear example of how lore can be taught so much that it is mistaken as scriptural doctrine is the number of “fallen angels” and when they fell. For hundreds of years many Christians have been taught that sometime in the ancient past (probably before the story of Adam and Eve begins), Satan rebelled against God and one third of the angels went with him in this rebellion. For many believers it is an unquestionable certainty, but how do we know that it was one third of the angels and exactly when did this war in Heaven take place? Many believers might be surprised to learn that the story of the mutiny led by Satan is not in the Bible. John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost is where that story came from. When writing that fictional tale, Milton used a few verses from the Book of Revelation to provide the details he needed for his story, but where and how he used them were out of context from what we are told in Revelation. While we have touched on this we are now going to look at Revelation, Chapter 12 more closely. You will see that Milton took serious artistic license with what was written. As a result, many Christians now reinterpret this chapter when they read it. They envision the details of Milton’s story instead of what was originally written by John the Apostle. One thing to keep in mind while reading Revelation 12 is when the scene described takes place. According to the Apostle John, it does not happen before the Fall of Adam and Eve.

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12: 1-17 ESV)

Revelation Chapter 12 has a lot to take in. Though you may have read it before, it is worth taking the time to go over it carefully here. There are three things that should be given special attention: The dragon that appears in verse 3. In verse 9 it is made clear that this dragon represents Satan. In verse 4 it says the dragon swept down a third of the stars with his tail and cast them to earth. The stars in that verse are interpreted as representing heavenly beings. This verse is where the 1/3 number of fallen angels comes from.

If we were to stop there, it would be easy to assume this chapter might support what we have been told about the war in Heaven, but lets take a closer look. This part of Revelation is written as a sequence of events as seen by the author John. The narrative goes like this:

Woman with crown appears and is about to give birth
Dragon appears and sweeps down a third of the stars
Dragon prepares to eat the child when it is born
Woman gives birth to a male child who will rule all nations, he is caught up to God’s throne (obviously Jesus)
Woman flees to the wilderness and is nourished for 1,260 days
Now a war begins in Heaven, the dragon and his angels lose and are cast to the earth.
It is announced “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come”
The dragon pursues the woman but is unable to capture or kill her since she is in the wilderness
The dragon goes off to make war on the rest of her offspring

According to this chronology, the war in Heaven takes place after the birth of Christ. It is during this war that Satan and his angels are cast down to earth. Only then does the dragon pursue her.

Some might argue that John is telling the story out of order and that verses 7 through 12 happen earlier, before the birth of Christ. But that does not make sense given that verses 10-12 proclaim the victory of Jesus and give warning to the people of the Earth.

Some could assume that war mentioned in verse 10 is a second war, but this would imply that Satan and his minions would have access to Heaven until that time.

Another clue that hints at the time this may all take place is in verse 6 and verse 14. In verse 6 it is says the woman will be nourished in the wilderness for 1,260 days and in verse 14 it says she will be nourished in the wilderness for a time, and times, and half a time. This is not the only place in the Bible the phrase a time, times, and half time are mentioned. It is also used in Daniel 7:25 as the mid-way point for the Tribulation. This period of time is understood to mean 3.5 years (42 months or 1260 days- based on a year measured as 360 days long).

He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25 ESV)

This same amount of time (42 months) is also mentioned in Revelation 11:2, 11:3, and 13.5. All of this seems to indicate a specific time frame within the period known as the Tribulation.

But if the idea that Satan’s rebellion came before the story of the Garden of Eden is not from the Bible where did it come from? We already know it came from the epic poem written by John Milton in 1667. The story given in Paradise Lost focuses on a part of the narrative from Satan’s perspective. At the beginning of the poem the rebellion has already taken place and the evil forces defeated. After the war, God creates the world and the story continues. Milton’s poem also ties in the idea that Satan pulled away a third of the angels in this pre-Eden battle.

Art thou that Traitor Angel, art thou hee,
Who first broke peace in Heav’n and Faith, till then
Unbrok’n, and in proud rebellious Arms
Drew after himthe third part of Heav’ns Sons (“Paradise Lost”, Book 2, lines 689-692)

Hell as Satan’s Active Headquarters – There is no biblical passage that suggests Hell is a kingdom the devil governs. Hell is a place of punishment, not a throne room. According to Matthew 25:41, Hell is prepared for Satan and his angels, but Scripture never says he rules it.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.(Matthew 25:41 ESV)

There are other verses that state Satan’s influence is limited to the present world.

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. (John 12:31 ESV)

in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—(Ephesians 2:2 ESV)

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.(2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV)

Satan’s Famous Line- “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” Nowhere is this in the Bible. It is a quote from Paradise Lost.

The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least We shall be free: th’Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choice To reign is worth ambition, though in hell; Better to reign in hell than serve in heav’n.(Paradise Lost, Book , Lines 254-263)

A Clear Chronology of Pre-Creation Events- The Bible never gives a chronology of the angelic fall and does not give a detailed timeline before Genesis 1. It is believed that Milton took inspiration from the following passages and interpreted them as describing Satan’s fall, but there is no mention in the Bible of when this took place.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.(Isaiah 14:12-15 ESV)

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19 ESV)

It is worth noting that there is some disagreement on whether these two passages actually refer to the fall of Satan. Literally, the passage in Isaiah is referring to the king of Babylon and the verses from Ezekiel are referring to the king of Tyre, but because of the language used (e.g., I will make myself like the Most High., You were in Eden, the garden of God, You were an anointed guardian cherub, etc.) many think these passages of scripture have a double meaning and refer to both the kings named and Satan.

Ideas and teachings that originated with Dante Alighieri’s Inferno

Elaborate Geography and Levels of Hell- The legend that Hell has nine layers and a specifically described geography comes not from the Bible but from Inferno. Passages from the Bible only refer to Hell in general terms, not detailed landscapes like those found in Dante’s work.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 ESV)

Active and Personalized Tormentors- The idea that demons and Satan personally inflict punishment on those that go to Hell comes from Dante’s fictional work. Those that argue the concept that there are personalized torments sometimes point to two parables given by Jesus. These have been interpreted by some commentators to mean that demons are responsible for the punishments, but it should be noted that these are only allegories given by Jesus, and not necessarily specific descriptions of what occurs in Hell.

34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.(Matthew 18:34 ESV)

47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. (Luke 12: 47-48 ESV)

Individualized and Eternal Punishment According to Sin Type- One of the main themes of Dante’s Inferno is that punishments in Hell are determined by the sins people committed on Earth. This is not based on scripture, but there are verses that some interpret to mean there are different punishments for different sins. Two of these are given below.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:13 ESV)

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.(Luke 10: 13-14 ESV)

While these two passages might seem to indicate that there are different levels of punishment in Hell, they can also be interpreted in a different way. In the case of Revelation 20:13, those being judged “according to what they had done” includes those that are found in the Book of Life, which means that verse 13 is referring to all that will receive judgment, not just those that are not redeemed.

Here is the entire section in context:

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)

Luke 10:13-14 is similar since Jesus is talking about the judgment in general for those that rejected repentance in these cities, rather than about punishment given to individuals based on specific sins. It is also worth mentioning that in verse 14 Jesus says, “But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you”. This implies that the judgment will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon, because those cities were not witness to “mighty works” as stated in verse 13 and therefore will not be held as accountable as the other cities.

Conclusions

Both of these fictional works have definitely shaped how people think of Satan, the Fall, and Hell in both Christian circles and popular culture. While both Milton and Dante may have used scripture for inspiration in order to create more compelling stories, many of the more famous ideas from Paradise Lost and Inferno do not really align with scripture at all. Based on teachings and scriptural commentaries that were written long after Milton’s and Dante’s works were published, it appears that some teachers have tried to include certain concepts found in these fictional works as doctrine. They do so by reinterpreting a handful of verses in ways that that seem to support part of the fictional stories as Christian theology.

References

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