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The Upside Down Cross
The Cross of Saint Peter (also called the Petrine Cross or the inverted Latin Cross) is an upside down cross traditionally used as a Christian religious symbol. But in recent times, Satanists have used it as an anti-Christian symbol to reflect their own beliefs.
Jesus’ Prophecy of Peter
After the resurrection, Christ called the apostle Peter to feed His lambs. And He added, “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God” (John 21:18, 19).
Christians have understood Jesus’ words about Peter “stretching out his hands” to mean that someday his hands would be stretched out on a cross. By dying a martyr’s death, Peter silently testified to the power of Christianity in changing a coward’s selfish heart to a brave unselfish heart.
Christian Tradition – Upside Down Cross (Inverted Cross)
According to Christian tradition, Peter the apostle met death by crucifixion (see Our Christian Symbols by Friedrich Rest , p. 29). Origen of Alexandria confirmed that Peter was crucified upside down on a cross. St. Peter requested to be crucified that way because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ did. He felt to die like Christ was too great an honor for him, who had denied his Master three times (Luke 22:54-62).
To Catholics, the Petrine Cross is associated with the papacy, reflecting the Roman Church’s belief that the pope is the successor of Peter as bishop of Rome. But the doctrine of the supremacy of pope as the successor of Peter is not Biblical. https://bibleask.org/what-purpose-is-there-for-a-pope/
A Sign of Satan
The way Peter died had nothing to do with a sign of the occult. Satan hates the cross, where the revelation of God’s love to man was ultimately exhibited to the Universe (John 3:16). And Satan’s followers reject and blaspheme the cross of Christ. The apostle Paul explains the reason behind their rejection to the cross: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18). The “preaching of the cross” is the message of redemption through faith in the crucified Lord. This truth is idiocy to the unconverted hearts.
Satanists deny both the message of the cross and the symbol of Christianity. And they show their anti-christian symbol by an upside down cross (inverted cross). In fact, the Church of Satan states on its website that its members are at liberty to use the satanic symbols and the cross turned upside down as an indication of their rejection of Jesus Christ. However, they add that Sigil of Baphomet, representing Satan, is their official occult symbol.
The upside down cross is a frequent theme in popular culture and in metal bands. And many horror movies use it to show their imagery, especially if the films deal with demonic activity. Also, the inverted cross is shown in some fashion trends like gothic clothing and Jewelry.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team