The Divine Identity of the Genesis 'Serpent'

Revelation settles a question the Old Testament leaves open. The great dragon is thrown down - that ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.
Four names, one being. And the phrase ancient serpent reaches back to Eden.
But here is the detail that keeps this honest: the nachash of Eden is never called satan in the Old Testament. The identification is made by the New Testament, looking back. Genesis gives you the being and its rebellion. Revelation supplies the name.
Scripture links:
- Genesis 3:1-15 - the nachash, the deception, and the sentence passed.
- Revelation 12:9 - the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan.
The Bible does not hand you the whole picture on page three. It hands you a character, and takes the rest of the book to name him.