Shepherd of Fire

First off, my interpretations of songs are colored a little because I started into metal with Skillet (heavily-veiled Christian lyrics in Monster), so I've found a lot of Christian-based lyrics in A7X's songs, even to the point where at one point I thought they were a completely Christian band. If you think differently, or know differently, that's cool, but here's an interpretation that's just as valid as the Satanic version, barring someone from the actual band saying this is wrong.

Lets take a moment and break the ice So my intentions are known See I pity in watching you suffer I know the feeling of feeling of being damned alone I got a storybook of my own

Biblical Jesus (as seen by Christians, not Satanists) was something that he really isn't commonly known as: a people person who could and would walk up to a crowd of beggars, whores, and thieves, bum a light, and start telling a parable. At least, that's what he would look like today, hence the first two lines. And whether or not you believe he was telling the truth, he did make sure to make his intentions known to his disciples, evidenced by John 3:17.

The feeling of being damned alone could be a heavy theological reference to one theory about where Jesus' spirit went after he died. The theory is that after taking all of the sin of the world on himself, he had to go to Hell to experience the torture that all humans would have had to undergo. According to Christian beliefs, the only way to escape this same punishment is to accept Christ's gift. "I pity in watching you suffer" could refer to his sadness when someone refuses his gift and goes through the torture of Hell. The alternative explanation I saw that paints this line as Satanist doesn't make sense, because Satan was damned with a third of the angels. I don't know the Satanist version of this story, but I doubt it's much different.

I agree that "storybook" refers to the Christian Bible, but I'm not entirely sure that its meant mockingly. Might be, might not be, tone is not well-conveyed when you're singing or writing lyrics that sound good together.

Don't you see I am your pride Agent of wealth Bearer of needs And you know it's right I am your war Arming the strong Aiding the weak Know me by name Shepherd of fire

Have you ever heard the saying "it's my pride and joy"? Christians could very easily apply that saying to Jesus.

"Agent" has a lot more synonyms than you'd expect. "Handler," "operator," or "broker" would also fit but not sound nearly as good. Ever read the passage in the Bible where God asks people to test him on his promise to open the gates of Heaven with wealth if they tithe? If this were a reference to that, any of the three would have the right definition. "Bearer of needs" could be a reference to Matthew 6:26.

I'm not going to get into "And you know it's right" because it could go either Christian or Satanic depending on your point of view.

More than a few passages in the Bible refer to God aiding the weak (Isaiah 25:4 and Romans 5:6). As for arming the strong, that might be a more literal reference to the many wars in the Old Testament where God gave the battle plan. Ditto "I am your war," though that might be a reference to Matthew 10:34.

Fire is, to the best of my knowledge, referenced more as God's weapon than Satan's in the Christian Bible. The flaming sword of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24), fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:10-14, 1 Chronicles 21:26, Revelation 20:9, 2 Chronicles 7:1, etc.), and the weapon of choice of the Two Witnesses of the end times (Revelation 11:5). Besides those destructive references, there are others like the burning bush of Moses (Exodus 3:2) and the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:22). "Shepherd" meaning "one who guides," "Shepherd of Fire" could be an accurate name for God, if an incomplete description (as most of His names are).

Well I can promise you paradise No need to serve on your knees And when you're lost in the darkest of hours Take a moment and tell me who you see Won't tell ya who not to be

This group of lyrics are a little harder because they could also go either way. Paradise is the promise of God and Christians don't believe that they need to serve on their knees to get it (it's as simple as a true conversion and not based on good works). The next lines could be a reference to prayer when you're in your worst situations. The last line, however, is pretty tricky, so here's my shot for better or for worse.

The line (altered for readability) "I will not tell you who not to be" is about as confusing as song lyrics get. It could be "I won't tell you not to be a better person," "I will not convict you of any of your actions," "I won't tell you who not to imitate,"etc. Since this is the Christian interpretation, I'm going to use this line as a declaration of free will. Christians believe that every choice they make is their own. They choose to do what God says and (sometimes) see the great things that come from it, or they choose to not do what God says and go on their merry way. Neither is forced, and salvation is not contingent on always doing what you're told, so an interpretation of this line might be "I don't force you to do anything or be anyone, it's your choice."

Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine Make way, the shepherd of fire

"Disciple of the cross" is an easy reference to Christianity, "champion in suffering" could be a reference to Christ's suffering prior to death (which was extreme). However, I feel like this line is calling to disciples of the cross who suffer, aka martyrs. Immersing yourself into the kingdom of redemption (I have no freaking clue how that could reference Satan's kingdom) might be what Christians think of as living in the Spirit and being an active Christian.

"Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine" is another interesting line, and it reminds me of Proverbs 1:8-9, the verse that refers to parents as "a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." This is actually a pretty apt description of the evolution of what is considered "allowable" for those following God. The strict laws of the Old Testament are like the chain. There is no slack, you are bound by this chain, and if you go beyond the reach of the chain then... well, if you don't know, you haven't been paying attention. Where this is not a contradiction of my previous interpretation from the last section is that Christians still have the chain, but it is not attached. It's a measuring tool. They can see where the line in the sand is, but have total freedom to step over if they want. What happens if they want to come back is in the next section.

Through the ages of time I've been known for my hate But I'm a dealer of simple choices For me it's never too late

These lines could have either of the following meanings:

I'm Satan, they say I'm the bad guy, but all I offer is a choice other than God's way. It's never too late to break free, no matter how tightly bound you are.

I'm Jesus, they say I'm the bad guy, but all I offer is a choice other than the results of sin. It is never too late to come to me, no matter what you've done.

Obviously I think it's the Christian version, but I'm not blind to other interpretations and points of view.

I am your wrath I am your guilt I am your lust

Wrath: Don't take revenge, that's not your job. You can't see the big picture.

Guilt: One of the primary emotional weapons of God. It's brutally effective.

Lust: Pursue me with a burning passion. I actually am all you need, spiritually speaking.

I am your love I am your stall I am your trust

Love: I want you to love me as much as I love you. And that's a lot.

Stall: The pause before you do something wrong. I will stop you before you walk off a cliff.

Trust: Trust me. I don't promise that you will not experience pain, or loss, or anything else that humans feel in a fallen world, but when you can see the picture like I can, you will see that I was right, even if you can't see it now.

Like I've said many times, I don't know what A7X intended when they wrote this. The purpose of this was not to start a massive comment war about beliefs or who's right or who's wrong, it's just to provide a second explanation from a different perspective.

My favorite thing about Avenged Sevenfold is that they could be Christian or Satanic depending on where you're starting from. Their songs that I've heard are religiously charged without advocating anything like "burn all Christians" or "repent, sinner." Far as I'm concerned, that's metal done right. Hit you right in the emotional feels and take you from point A to B with depth behind the song beyond "I'm angry and I want to kill someone."