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Satan, the Super Creature |
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Satan, the Super Creature |
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Attacks of Children
Demon Oppression
Cain and Abel
Ishmael and Isaac
Dinah
Children of Baal
Family Worship of Queen of Heaven
Epileptic Boy
Syrophoenician Woman's Daughter
Cain was the firstborn of Adam and
Eve, and Abel was their second child (Gen 4:1-2). Cain is the Hebrew
/y!q*
(qajin), for acquired, as derived from the verb qanah, meaning
to acquire. When she gave birth to Cain, Eve said, "I have acquired
a male with the LORD."
Abel (Gen 4:2) is the Hebrew lb#h*
(habel), meaning emptiness; vanity; breath. He was probably
so called from the shortness of his life, although he was also a naive,
immature believer.
Genesis 4:3-4After a considerable time, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the produce of the ground, meaning fruit, vegetables, or grain. And Abel brought an offering of the best of the firstlings of his flock. "From their fat" does not mean fat portions. It refers to the best of the flock.
3 So it came about in the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the produce (fruit) of the ground. 4 Abel also brought from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering.
Genesis 4:5When the Lord rejected his offering, Cain became very angry. The Hebrew is hr^j*(charah), meaning to burn with anger. He burned greatly with anger. Cain's offering was not rejected because it was bloodless but because Cain did not love God. Cain reacted in anger to God's rejection. His anger was a sin, which left him in the Cosmic System under the power of Satan. Cain's anger was expressed in his face. He was not smiling but downcast. His mouth turned down as in pouting.
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:6-7"Do Good" is the Hebrew bf^y* (jatab), meaning to be Good, well, Happy, pleasing. It refers to producing Divine Good. Cain needs to be saved to produce Divine Good. Producing Divine Good would include being peaceful and Happy, and his countenance would be lifted up (Job 11:14-15). He would be smiling, and his mouth would be turned up at the corners. In contrast, the conscience of a person who sins causes the face to turn downward.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do Good, will not your countenance be lifted up? But if you do not do Good, sin is lying in wait at the door, and its desire is for you; but you must master it."
If Cain does not do Good, sin is lying in wait at the door. The Hebrew Jb^r* (rabatz) means to lie down, lie stretched out; used of a beast of prey lying in wait. Sin is lying in wait at the door of the soul. For a while Cain has an opportunity to make a decision to believe in the Lord, but if he says no from the Old Sin Nature (OSN), then his soul will be taken over by the OSN and open the way for the vacuum of the Cosmic System to come in. He will be a slave to his OSN and Satan.
Sin is lying in wait at the door, "and its desire is for you." Sin is like a wild beast (e.g. a serpent or lion) waiting to devour a person (1 Pet. 5:8). Sin is a metaphor for Satan, the author of sin. If Cain rejects Salvation, Satan will devour him.
Regarding sin, the Lord says, "But you must master it." Mastering sin begins with Salvation and continues by the use of Rebound. Cain needs to be saved.
Genesis 4:8 Cain Kills AbelWhat Cain told his brother is not recorded. Cain talked to Abel, although the conversation is not recorded. Cain undoubtedly watched his brother sacrifice the lambs and figured that a man could be killed the same way. Abel was a weak, naive believer, who never saw it coming. Satan empowered Cain to kill his brother. Cain's bitterness and anger meant that he was bitter toward everyone. So, he took out his anger on his younger brother, who was Righteous; whereas, Cain was evil.
Cain told his brother Abel. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
After Cain rejected Salvation, he fell into sin and under the power of Satan. Cain did the evil bidding of Satan and killed his brother (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51; 1 John 3:12–15; Jude 1:11). Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44).
1 John 3:11-12Cain was the antithesis of loving the brethren. Cain was "out from the source of the Evil One (Satan)." Here the Greek ek + poneros in the ablative of source means that Cain was from the source of the Evil One. He was under the power of Satan. Satan was using Cain just as he had used the woman in the Garden and later used Judas Iscariot. Satan drove Cain to slaughter his brother. He killed Abel by cutting his throat just as Abel had killed sheep.
11 …we should love one another;
12 Not as Cain, who was out from the source of the Evil One (Satan) and slaughtered his brother. And for what reason did he slaughter him? Because his deeds were evil and those of his brother Righteous.
Cain slaughtered his brother because his deeds were evil. His deeds included the offering that he gave to the Lord. He did not give the offering from love and devotion but in an attempt to gain the favor of God. That was evil, which is the Greek ponhrov" (poneros). The Lord rejected Cain's offering as further proof of his evil deeds.
In contrast, the offering of Abel was an expression of Love and devotion to the Lord. Abel was a believer who loved the Lord. Therefore, God accepted his offering because his deeds were Righteous. "Righteous" is the Greek divkaio" (dikaios), meaning righteous or just. Abel's offering was an act of Faith, which was Righteous.
Genesis 4:9After killing his brother, Cain denied his guilt to the Lord.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 4:10"Blood" spilled on the ground is a metaphor for murder. The voice of the blood crying out is a metaphor for the witness of the blood that symbolizes an injustice and cries out for justice. The Lord's rule over Creation demands Justice (Num 35:33; Deut 21:1–9; Rev 6:9, 10). Even though Abel was dead, his blood cried out as a witness (Heb 11:4).
He (the LORD) said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground."
Hebrews 11:4Abel's offering to God was by faith. Abel's sacrifice was better than Cain's because Abel's was Divine Good production and Cain's was evil and dead works. Consequently, God accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected Cain's sacrifice. Thus, God declared Abel Righteous. Abel's Righteousness was from God at Salvation. In contrast, Cain was unsaved and unrighteous. Abel received the testimony that he was Righteous from God when his sacrifice was accepted by God. God bore witness to Abel's offerings. Thus, even though Abel has died, he still communicates. His testimony still lives.
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which (sacrifice) he received the testimony that he was Righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through it (faith), while he has died, he still communicates.
Genesis 4:11 Sentence: Curse of the GroundThe Lord then sentenced Cain for murder. First, Cain was cursed from the ground because it had to drink innocent blood. The ground was already cursed under the Adamic Covenant. Now, the curse will be intensified.
"Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:12 Twofold CurseThe Curse of Cain was twofold.
"When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a wanderer and a vagabond on the Earth."
Genesis 4:13The punishment is the result of the sin. Cain understands the sentence and complains that it is too much to bear.
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!"
Genesis 4:14Cain has become an outcast from the ground. He has been cast out of Eden (Gen 4:16). He is afraid of revenge from men who might sympathize with Abel.
"Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden; and I will be a wanderer and a vagabond on the Earth; and it shall come to pass that whoever finds me will kill me."
Genesis 4:15The Lord made an unconditional covenant with Cain to protect his life. If anyone killed Cain, vengeance would be taken on him sevenfold. The Lord gave Cain a sign of His covenant of protection. The Lord's covenant was that anyone who found Cain would not slay him. The type of sign is not recorded in scripture. The sign did not have to be visible to others because the Lord's covenant was unconditional. The Lord would protect Cain.
So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD gave a sign to Cain, so that anyone who came upon him would not slay him.
There is no basis for assuming that the curse of Cain or the sign to him was that he became Black. According to scripture, the Black race was descended from Ham, the son of Noah (Gen. 10:6–20). Ham, derived from the Hebrew root hm^j* (chamah), means hot and is associated with being burnt or Black. Ham is a name for Egypt. Ham was the ancestor of the Egyptians and other nations (Psa 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).
Genesis 21:9"Mocking" is the Pi'el participle of the Hebrew qj^x* (tsachaq). There is no object with it because it is a play on words associated with the name, Isaac, which is the Hebrew qj*x=y! (yitsechaq), meaning laughter. Instead of laughing per the name Isaac, Ishmael was making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was persecuting Isaac (Gal 4:29).
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
Ishmael, a believer, was carnal. He was making a mockery of Isaac based upon his name, laughter. He was putting Isaac down based on his name. Ishmael was under the power of his Old Sin Nature in the Cosmic System, where he had also succumbed to Satanic influence. Satan was already at work in this case attacking the child of the promise. Satan understood the importance of Isaac and seized the occasion to attack Isaac just as he had attacked Abel through Cain.
Sarah understood the need to protect her son from such an evil attack. She confronted Abraham and demanded that Hagar and her son, Ishmael, be sent away.
Genesis 21:10Sarah demanded that Abraham "drive out" the maid, Hagar, and her son. These are strong words for sending someone away permanently. "Maid" is the Hebrew hm*a* ('amah), which means literally a maidservant, a slave girl. Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian slave, who had borne the son Ishmael from Abraham.
Therefore, she (Sarah) said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid with her son, for the son of this maid shall not be heir with my son Isaac."
The reason Sarah gave for driving out Hagar and her son was to prevent Ishmael from being an heir with Isaac. The basis for Sarah's demand to expel Ishmael was the Doctrine of Inheritance, which God had previously explained to Abraham (Gen 17:18-21). Sarah apparently understood the doctrine, which meant that Isaac was the only rightful heir.
Under the Doctrine of Inheritance:
1. Isaac was the first-born, child of the promise from God.Abraham was greatly distressed because he loved his son Ishmael dearly.
2. Isaac was the only rightful heir (Gen 21:12; Rom 9:7-8; Heb 11:18).
3. Ishmael was not qualified to be an heir of Abraham and Sarah, although God did give him an inheritance because of Abraham (Gen. 17:18, 20).
- Ishmael was a wild child, who was not the son of Right Man - Right Woman.
- Ishmael was the son of a slave woman, not a free woman (Gal 4:22-24).
- Ishmael was not a Hebrew of the new race descended from Abraham as was Isaac.
4. Isaac must be free from the evil influence of Ishmael.
Genesis 21:11 Abraham's Distress"Distressing" is the Hebrew uu^r* (ra`a` ), which means to be evil or be displeasing, injurious, distressing, repulsive. Although Abraham understood the need to protect his children from evil, separating his two sons was a very difficult decision and a big leap of faith. He undoubtedly prayed about the matter and God answered him.
The matter was very distressing in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Genesis 21:12 Posterity Through IsaacGod's answer was that Abraham need not be distressed over Hagar and Ishmael and that Abraham should listen to Sarah's demand. This did not mean that Sarah was running the Marriage, but she was right in her application of doctrine, and Abraham should make the final decision according to doctrine.
But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed in your eyes because of the boy and your maid; whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for in (through) Isaac shall seed (posterity) be called to you.
God explained that Abraham's posterity would come through Isaac, and no one else. The literal translation is: "for in (through) Isaac shall seed (posterity) be called to you." "Seed" refers to posterity. Abraham's posterity must come in (through) the person of Isaac. The posterity would belong to Abraham. "Called" means called into existence. God would call into existence the Hebrew nation through Isaac.
Then God reminded Abraham of His previous promise to Ishmael.
Genesis 21:13 Promise to IshmaelHere God reiterated His promise to make a great nation from Ishmael because he was Abraham's son (Gen 17:20). So, Ishmael would also receive an inheritance, but he would not share the inheritance with Isaac. The two sons of Abraham were separate and distinct. What began with mocking in childhood would progress into animosity and national antagonism in future generations.
And also I will make of the son of the maid a nation because he is your offspring.
Later in history when Judaizers began to persecute Galatian Christians, Paul applied the lessons learned from Ishmael's persecution of Isaac.
Galatians 4:28 Church Children of the PromiseJust as Isaac was the child of the promise, the Galatians were Christians who had received a promise. Christians are members of the Royal Family of God (RFG), who will rule and reign with Christ over Israel and the other nations in the Millennium. Like Isaac who received the promise as the son of Abraham, Christians receive the promise based on Spiritual birth at Salvation.
Moreover, you brethren, just as Isaac, are the children of the promise.
Just as Isaac was persecuted, Christians will also be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12).
Galatians 4:29 PersecutionIshmael was "born according to the flesh" (Gal 4:23). This means he was born physically through the works of the flesh (Old Sin Nature). His birth was dead works, not Divine Good production. Isaac, in contrast, was born based on the promise of God and work of the Holy Spirit who provided a miracle to enable him to be born.
But just as then, the one who was born according to the flesh (Ishmael) persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit (Isaac), so also now.
Ishmael persecuted Isaac. Similarly, legalistic Jews persecuted Grace-oriented Galatian Christians, and even today legalists persecute Christians. Legalists are under the power of the OSN and under the influence of the Satan's Cosmic System. Thus, Christians have the same problem with attacks from the world as Isaac did from Ishmael.
Persecution is an attack from the OSN of a person who is in the world (Cosmic System) under the influence of Satan. Satan inspired Ishmael's attack on Isaac, and Satan inspires the persecution of Grace-oriented believers of the Church.
Galatians 4:30This is a quote from Genesis 21:10. "Drive out" is the Greek ejkbavllw (ekballo), which means to drive out, expel, literally, throw out more or less forcibly. Forcible separation is required to be free from evil influence. "Bondwoman" is the Greek paidivskh (paidiske), for a young female slave or bondmaid. Hagar was the slave girl, or "bondwoman," from Egypt.
But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman."
The son of the slave woman, Ishmael, must not be an heir with the son of the free woman (Isaac). The Greek ouj mhv (ou me) for "not" is very strong. It means absolutely not, without any possibility.
Galatians 4:31Paul pointed out to the Galatians that their Jewish attackers, who were under the Law, corresponded to the children of Hagar. In contrast, Church Age Believers under Grace correspond to the children of Sarah. As members of the Royal Family of God, Church Age Believers have an inheritance from God that far surpasses the inheritance of Israel under the Law. Satan attacks Christians to deprive them of their rewards.
Therefore brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman (Hagar) but of the free woman (Sarah).
Dinah, like all of her brothers except Joseph, failed to learn the Spiritual life. Although she was probably a believer, she was a wild child who fell into carnality and was poorly prepared for life. She was very attractive, but she failed to learn from her limited parental instruction. Judging by their children, Jacob and Leah appeared to be poor parents.
Dinah should have learned about her Spiritual heritage and the need to be sanctified and separate from the world. If she had grown up Spiritually or if her parents had protected her, she would not have fallen into the world's waiting trap. However, Dinah wanted to socialize with other teens in the world. So, she went out to visit the teen girls of the Hivites. Of course, the Hivites were Canaanite unbelievers.
Genesis 34:1-2When Shechem, the prince of the Hivites, saw Dinah, he seized her and forced her to have sex with him. Three words describe what happened. He seized her. "Seized" is the Hebrew jq^l* (laqak), meaning to seize or grab by force. Next is the Hebrew bk^v* (shakab), meaning to lie down and have sex. Then comes the Hebrew hn*u* (`anah), which means to rape, humiliate sexually, to abuse sexually, to humble a woman by cohabitation (Gen 34:2; Deut 21:14; 22:24, 29; Judg 19:24; 20:5; 2 Sam 13:12, 14, 22, 32; Ezek 22:10, 11; Lam 5:11). The same three words are used in different order to describe Amnon's rape of Tamar (2 Sam 13:14).
1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit (see) the daughters of the land.
2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and sexually abused her.
So, what can be deduced is that Shechem had sex with Dinah against her will. Shechem wasn't motivated by malice but by sexual desire. Dinah was an attractive virgin, and Shechem was an older teen, who overpowered her. However, beyond this the details are murky. Dinah's father Jacob fell silent. Shechem fell madly in love with Dinah and wanted to marry her. And Dinah's brothers became violently angry and plotted revenge.
From the Spiritual perspective, Shechem was under the influence of Satan. The attack upon Dinah was Satan's attempt to curse the Tribe of Jacob. Jacob had already reached Spiritual Maturity, and God allowed Satan to cross examine him as testing for Spiritual Rapport, which Jacob would soon attain (Gen 35:9-12). Jacob's wives still had their household idols (Gen 35:2). So, Satan still had a foothold in the family.
When Dinah went to visit the Hivite girls, she was in Lawlessness in the Cosmic System under the influence of Satan. So, Satan not only influenced Shechem, he also lured Dinah to meet him. This corresponds to Satan's influence as the goddess of love or Prostitute of Babylon.
Shechem Falls for Dinah
After having sex with Dinah, Shechem fell for her.
Genesis 34:3Shechem was in Reverse Process Reversionism, or pseudo love fanaticism. Dinah was stuck in his heart, and his mind was stuck on her. The words in the Hebrew are qb^D* (dabaq) + vp#n# (nephesh). Dabaq means to be joined to; cleave to; to have sex with. It is often translated to cleave to, but it means to have sex with. Nephesh means soul. Shechem was having sex with Dinah in his soul. His soul was preoccupied with sex for Dinah.
And his (Shechem's) soul was preoccupied with sex for Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and he spoke from the heart to the (teen) girl.
Shechem "loved" Dinah, where "loved" is the typical Hebrew bh@a( ('aheb), for love. Dinah is called "the girl," which is the Hebrew hr*u^}n^ (na`arah), for a young girl, or teen. Thus, she was probably about 13. Shechem spoke to her from the heart. Here the Hebrew rb^D* (dabar) is not just idle talk but very specific language, such as love poems or songs.
Genesis 34:4Shechem demanded that his father Hamor get Dinah for him for a wife. So, Shechem was ready to marry Dinah.
So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young girl for a wife."
Genesis 34:5Jacob heard what had happened to Dinah but he kept silent while his sons were off in the field. This appears a strange reaction, but under the circumstances there wasn't much that Jacob could do. There was no law of the land, and there were no moral standards that could be imposed upon unbelievers, who were the majority in the land. Further, Dinah's brothers would have a say in what happened to her, as was the custom of the day.
Now Jacob heard that he had sexually defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in.
Genesis 34:6So Shechem's father went to speak with Jacob to arrange a marriage for his son to Dinah. Hamor is the Hebrew romj^ (chamor), for a jackass (male donkey), or the color reddish-brown. And Shechem is the Hebrew <k#v= (shechem), meaning shoulder, or a tract of land called a shoulder (Gen 48:22). The shoulder symbolizes strength.
So Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.
Reaction of Jacob's Sons
Genesis 34:7When Jacob's sons heard about Dinah, they were grieved and very angry. To understand their reaction, it is first necessary to know who they were. All of them except one (Joseph) were undisciplined, pilfering, conniving, whore-hopping arrogant jackasses. Shechem and Hamor, even though unbelievers, were probably a credit to any of them. Even though the sons of Jacob were believers, they rejected Jacob's teaching and learned very little from their mothers. In their reversionism, they were capable of vicious evil.
Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard of it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had committed licentiousness in Israel by having sex with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
The reason for their anger is that Shechem had committed licentiousness in Israel. This is the Hebrew hl*b*n= (nebalah), for licentiousness. "Having sex" is the Hebrew bk^v*! (shakab). "For such a thing ought not to be done." All this is a standard catch phrase for crimes against Israel as God's chosen people, especially shameful carnal sins (Deut 22:21; Judg 20:10) and crimes (Josh 7:15).
Genesis 34:8However, Hamor spoke with the sons of Jacob about a marriage between Shechem and Dinah. It was the custom for brothers to take part in deciding the marriage (Gen 24:50; 34:5, 11; Judg 21:22; 2 Sam. 13:22). Hamor said Shechem longed for Dinah, where "longed" is the Hebrew qv^j* (chashaq), meaning to be attached with very great love, as though it were to be joined to any one, as in conjugal love (Gen 34:8; Deut. 7:7; 10:15; 21:11). It means that Shechem burned with love for Dinah.
But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage (for a wife).
Genesis 34:13 Deceit of Jacob's SonsHere the evil influence shifts from lasciviousness longing and unfulfilled love to deceit and revenge motivation. The Shechem side corresponds to Lawlessness, and the side of Jacob's sons corresponds to Legalism. If the influence of Satan were not obvious before, it will soon become blatantly clear. Although the Hebrews should maintain separation from the world and Dinah should not marry Shechem, the sons of Jacob answered deceitfully. Rather than say, "No," they answered Hamor with deceit. The deceit was evidence of Satan's influence.
But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor and they spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
The sons of Jacob told Hamor that they could not agree to the marriage because Shechem was uncircumcised (Gen 34:14). Here the word "uncircumcised" is the Hebrew hl*r=u* (`arelah), which means foreskin. They couldn't agree to the marriage because he had a foreskin. This was a legalistic application of doctrine (Gen 17:14). Shechem's first problem was that he was an unbeliever, not that he was uncircumcised. Circumcision was the sign of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant through the child of the promise from Right Man and Right Woman.
The sons of Jacob then hatched a scheme (under Satanic influence). They said they would agree to the marriage if Shechem and all the males in his tribe would be circumcised (Gen 34:15). Then there would be nothing to prohibit intermarriage with the Hivites (Gen 34:16). They ended the outrageous proposal with a crunch. If the Hivites refused, they would take Dinah and go (Gen 34:17). Dinah had now become the pawn in a contest between the evil sons of Jacob and the heathen Hivites.
Would any tribe on Earth be so stupid as to agree to such an outrageous demand? Apparently Satan convinced the Hivites to accept the offer, and they wasted no time before being circumcised (Gen 34:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23). All the Hivite males of reasonable age were circumcised (Gen 34:24). Now circumcision is of no value for an unbeliever. The teaching of Jacob's sons was evil and the sign of the devil.
Then on the third day, when the Hivite men were in pain and agony, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's older brothers by Leah took up their swords, sneaked into the Hivite camp, and killed all of the men (Gen 34:25). They also killed Hamor and Shechem and took Dinah from Shechem's house, where she had been given in marriage (Gen 34:26). Jacob's other sons joined Simeon and Levi and looted the city and took their livestock (Gen 34:27, 28). They took their wealth and captured their children and their wives, and they took all that was in their houses (Gen 34:29). Captured means they took the women and children back as slaves.
Simeon and Levi, the 2nd and 3rd sons of Jacob, were cursed and lost their consideration for firstborn status because of this incident (Gen 49:5-7). Reuben lost his firstborn status by committing adultery with his father's concubine.
Simeon means the offspring of an hyena and a wolf; hearing with acceptance; hearing. Leah named her second son, Simeon, "hearing," because the LORD had heard her problem (Gen 29:33). The Tribe of Simeon is symbolized by Scorpius, the scorpion, corresponding to the evil one (Satan). Levi means attachment. Leah named her third son, Levi, "attachment" because she thought her husband would be attached to her (Gen 29:34). Note, later the Levites were attached to, or attending upon, the Ark of the Covenant. And the Levites were responsible for the Criminal Justice System to handle criminals like Levi.
The massacre left several hundred Hivite men slaughtered (Gen 34:30). It was so odious that Jacob had to pack up and move his tribe out of the region for fear of terrorist reprisal from neighboring tribes. The answer of Simeon and Levi for committing this atrocity was that Shechem should not have treated their sister as a prostitute, which is the Hebrew hn*z* (zanah), for a prostitute, whore, or harlot (Gen 34:31).
The signs of Satan in the attack of Jacob's sons include:
2 Kings 2:23"Small boys" is the Hebrew ru^n^ (na`ar) (youth) + Hebrew /f)q* (qaton) (small). They were young boys. From the next verse, it was a large gang of young boys, who began mocking Elisha. The Hebrew sl}^q* (qalas) means to ridicule or mock. They were making a mockery of him with their sing-song, name-calling.
He (Elisha) went up from there (Jericho) to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, small boys came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Come up, baldy; come up, baldy!"
The boys were chanting, "Come up, baldy; come up, baldy!" The boys were making fun of Elisha by calling him bald headed. Elisha may not have even been ball headed, but the chorus of boys was expressing scorn and derision. They were cursing Elisha. This was evil and indicative of Satan working through the conspiracy of boys. Children engaged in such evil deeds are indicative of Baal, the enemy of children, marriage, and Israel. Baal can attack as the god of war (Evil King) or goddess of love (Prostitute of Babylon).
The boys were living in a place of idolatrous worship, which included the worship of Baal as the golden calf. So, it is not surprising that they were driven by Satan and his demons to attack the Lord's prophet of Israel.
2 Kings 2:24Realizing that this was an evil Satanic attack, Elisha turned around and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Elisha was being attacked by Satan through a gang of boys. "Boys" is the Hebrew dl#y# (jeled), for young children (boys). This was Spiritual Warfare. For him to be friendly with the poor, misguided brats would have been to agree with the attack. Elisha resisted them and cursed them in the power of the LORD, who immediately took Elisha's side.
He turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two of the boys.
Then two female bears came out and tore up forty-two of the boys. Female bears can be vicious, and they ripped apart 42 of the boys. The Hebrew uq^B* (baqa` ) in the Pi'el (intensive) stem means to violently rip to pieces. The bear is a symbol of Baal, corresponding to Satan as the god of war, the Evil King, Antichrist, and Dictator of the Revived Roman Empire (Dan 7:5; Rev. 13:2). The number, 42, also symbolizes Baal. Baal will rule for 42 months through the Antichrist during the Tribulation (Rev 13:5).
The bears were under the power of Satan and demons. When Elisha cursed the boys, the Lord withdrew His protection of the boys and turned them over to Satan for administration of the Sin Leading to Death. Satan already had power over the boys, but he didn't have the power of death over them until God gave it to him. The bears were under the power of Satan and demons.
Children, boys and girls, can be influenced and possessed by Satan and his demons, such as Baal. The children under the power of Baal can be ruthless monsters or flirtatious seductresses. They can become incorrigible in adolescence. Children from families under the Curse of Jezebel are especially vulnerable. Since the children may not have reached the age of accountability, they may be unbelievers. It is up to adults to help them through Spiritual Warfare and intercessory prayer. The prayer to deliver them from evil is in order.
Jeremiah 7:18The worship of the Queen of Heaven by the Jews was a family affair, like today's traditions associated with the demon spirits of Christmas and Halloween. The children gathered sticks, the fathers kindled the fire, and the mothers made cakes for offerings to the Queen of Heaven. They also poured out drink-offerings to her. This was idolatry, which provoked the Lord to anger. It was the worship of Satan as Baal under the name Queen of Heaven. Cakes and drink-offerings were offered to this deity; whereas, the worship of the counterpart, Molech, involved child sacrifice by fire (2 Ki 23:10; 2 Ch 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31, 32; 19:2, 6; 32:35).
The children gather sticks, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven, and they pour out drink-offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger.
The Queen of Heaven was the Morning Star, which they took as the symbol of their goddess of love, who was Astarte, Ashtoreth, and Asherah. Regarded as the sister and consort of Baal, she was later called Venus by the Romans. In Babylon she was called Inanna.
The Queen of Heaven was the demon spirit of the Prostitute of Babylon. Ritual prostitution was the method of worshiping Satan by invoking the demon-gods into the lives of mankind (Num 25:1-5; Judg 2:13; 1 Ki 11:4-8; 18:19; Isa 57:3-8;). Satanic worship included murder and sacrifice related to the Evil King and ritual prostitution related to the Prostitute of Babylon (1 Ki 18:19; 21:25; Jer 7:18; 19:5; 44:3-4, 21-22).
After coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus saw that a crowd gathered around his disciples were engaged in a heated discussion (Mk 9:14). When Jesus asked what was going on, a man came from the crowd and fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him to help his son (Mk 9:16; Matt 17:14). The parallel passages are Mark 9:14-28 and Luke 9:37-42.
Matthew 17:15 Demon Possessed LunaticThe man said, "Lord, have mercy on my son." He said his son was a "lunatic," which is the Greek selhniavzomai, (seleniazomai), from (selhvnh, moon) + (a{zomai, awe-struck) = moon-struck, lunatic, epileptic (see Matt 4:24). "The term "seleniazetai" was also often used to describe people with epilepsy because they were thought to be affected by the moon's phases or by the moon god (Selene), and hence the notion of "moonstruck" or "lunatic" (the Latinized version) arose. Hippocrates, however, believed that epilepsy was not sacred, but a disorder of the brain."1
and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is severely tormented; for you see, many times he falls into the fire and often into the water.
The boy had epilepsy, which was caused by a demon (Mk 9:17; Lk 9:39).
Luke 9:39 Epileptic Demon AttackThe man explained that Jesus' disciples were unable to cast out the demon.
"And behold, a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and it scarcely withdraws out from him, leaving him exhausted."Mark 9:18 Epileptic Demon Attack
"And whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and he becomes stiff. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they did not have the power to do so."
Matthew 17:17 Unbelieving GenerationRealizing that the disciples lacked the Spiritual strength to deal with this kind of demon, Jesus expressed his exasperation. He called this an "unbelieving and reversionistic generation." "Unbelieving" means not having faith, not believing the Word, Bible Doctrine. "Reversionistic" is the Greek diastrevfw (diastrepho), meaning perverted, turned away, or reversionistic. It refers to those people who are not in fellowship with God. Today it refers to those who do not have the filling of the Holy Spirit because they do not Rebound.
But Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and reversionistic generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."
Mark 9:20 The Demon Attack of EpilepsyJesus asked the man how long this had been happening, and the man said since childhood (Mk 9:21). The demon had tried to kill the boy by throwing into the fire and into the water (Mk 9:22).
They brought him (the boy) to Him (Jesus), and having seen Him, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsion, and having fallen on the ground, he was rolling and foaming at the mouth.
The father added, "But if you can do anything, help us and have pity on us" (Mk 9:22).
Mark 9:23 All Things Possible By FaithJesus seized upon the man's lack of faith and reminded him that all things are possible by faith.
But Jesus said to him, "If you can? All things are possible to the one who believes.
Mark 9:24 Cry for HelpThe father pleaded with Jesus to help his weak faith.
Immediately crying out, the boy's father said, "I do believe! Help my unbelief!"
Mark 9:25 Jesus Casts Out the DemonJesus opposed the demon, and with the authority and the power of God, He commanded the "dumb and deaf spirit" to come out of the boy. He called the demon of epilepsy a "dumb and deaf spirit." Jesus added that the demon must no longer enter the boy again. That is because the demon was in the habit of coming back and attacking the boy with epilepsy. The boy, who was probably not yet a believer, did not have the strength to resist the demon. Parents must protect children from demons.
And Jesus, having seen that a crowd was rapidly gathering together, rebuked the impure spirit, saying to it, "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out from him and no longer enter into him!
Mark 9:26 The Demon DepartsThe demon cried out and threw the boy into severe convulsions when it left. The exorcism was so traumatic that after the demon left the boy appeared like a corpse and people thought he was dead.
And after crying out and throwing him into severe convulsions, it came out, and he became like a corpse so that many were saying that he had died.
Mark 9:27 Jesus Raises the Boy UpAfter the boy was healed, the crowd was amazed at the majesty of God.
But Jesus, having taken him by the hand, began raising him up; and he stood up.
Mark 9:28When the disciples got alone with Jesus, they asked Him why they couldn't cast out the demon.
And having entered into a house, His disciples began asking Him privately, "Why were we not able to cast it out?"
Matthew 17:20 Lack of FaithJesus explained to His disciples that they could not cast the demon out because of the weakness of their faith. If they had the faith of a mustard seed (a very small seed), they could move mountains.
But He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for you see, truly, I tell you, 'If you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from this place to there,' and it shall move. Furthermore, nothing shall be impossible to you."
Mark 9:29 Prayer for Demon RemovalJesus explained that prayer is required to cast out this type of demon. The words, "and fasting," that appear in some manuscripts (e.g. KJV, Textus Receptus, Matt 17:21, Mk 9:29) are not in the best manuscripts and not believed to be legitimate. The disciples could use prayer to exorcise some demons. Notice, Jesus didn't use prayer.
And He said to them, "This type cannot come out in any way except by means of prayer."
Reasons for using prayer: (1) Authority of God issue, such as sickness, (2) personal weakness. In the first case, God may have meant for the demon to punish the individual or cause sickness. In the second case, the boy and the disciples were too weak to resist the demon. The disciples needed to pray to God to remove the demon. They needed God's help, since they were too weak to deal with it. They should have used Faith-Rest. However, their faith was too weak, and they failed even to ask in prayer.
Prayer was the means of removing the demon during the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union (Gospel period) and precanon Church Age; however, later in the Church Age even prayer was taken away for removing demons (2 Cor 12:7-9) (see Paul's Thorn in the Flesh).2 In the Church Age, the New Testament epistles teach only the use of faith (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9) and the power of Salvation (Rom 8:31; 1 Jn 4:4) to resist the devil.
Jesus traveled to Tyre, which is 25 miles from the western shore of Sea of Galilee (Matt 15:21; Mk 7:24). When He went into a house to escape the crowd, a Gentile woman followed Him and asked Him to cast the demon out of her little daughter (Mk 7:26). The woman was of the Syrophoenician race. Phoenicia belonged to Syria.
Matthew 15:22Matthew calls the woman a Canaanite, meaning from the region of Canaan. She called Jesus, Lord, the title of Deity, and "Son of David," the title of the Royal Messiah in recognition of the Davidic Covenant (Psa 89:3, 35; Psa 132:11-12). She appealed for mercy because her daughter was severely demon possessed. "Daughter" is the Greek qugavthr (thugater). In Mark 7:25 she is called a "little daughter," which is the Greek qugavtrion (thugatrion).
And behold, a Canaanite woman having come out from that region was crying out, saying, "Have mercy upon me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon possessed."
Matthew 15:23Jesus didn't answer her, and His disciples demanded that He send her away because she kept shouting at them. The disciples had been given the power to cast out demons, but they didn't lift a finger to help (Matt 10:1, 8; Mk 3:14-15; 6:7, 13).
But He (Jesus) did not answer her a word; and his disciples, having approached, asked Him saying, "Send her away because she keeps shouting after us."
Matthew 15:24Jesus explained that He was only sent to Israel, not the Gentiles (Matt 10:6).
But answering, He said, "I was not sent on a mission except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Matthew 15:25But the woman bowed down before Jesus and asked for His help.
But having come, she bowed down before Him saying, "Lord, help me!"
Mark 7:27Jesus told her that the children (of Israel) should be satisfied with food first, for it was not good to take the children's bread (Bible Doctrine) and throw it to the little (pet) dogs. The word for dog here is the Greek kunavrion (kunarion), meaning a house-dog or lap-dog in contrast to a dog of the street or farm, a little dog.
And He told her, "Let the children be satisfied (with food) first; for you see, it is not good to take the bread of the children and throw it to the little (pet) dogs."
Matthew 15:27She replied that even the little dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from the master's table. She indicated that she was not asking for the children's bread, but just the crumbs that fell on the floor.
But she said, "Certainly, Lord, for You see even the little dogs eat from the crumbs which fall down from their master's table."
Matthew 15:28Jesus was impressed with her faith and granted her petition. The demon went out from her daughter at that hour (Mk 7:29). When she returned home, she found her daughter lying on the bed and the demon gone (Mk 7:30).
Then answering, Jesus said to her, "Oh woman! Your faith is great. It shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.
Thus, demons can possess little children. It is up to the parents to protect the children. The Syrophoenician woman needed the Lord's help to deal with the demon, and the Lord cast out the demon.
Demon Oppression
Demon Possessed Man in Capernaum
Jesus' Method of Casting Out Demons
Hunchbacked Woman
Legion
Satan and his demons can oppress people with all manner of sickness, disease, and infirmities, with God's permission (Acts 10:38). They can cause blindness (Matt 12:22), deafness, dumbness (Mk 9:25), paralysis, lameness (Lk 13:11; Acts 8:7), and mental illness (Mk 5:15) as well as many other health problems, such as cancer, boils (Job 2:7), epilepsy (Matt 17:15; Lk 9:39, 42), strokes, anxiety, depression, and death (Heb 2:14-15). Note, these problems can also be caused by the Angels of God in Divine punishment.
Luke 4:33 Demon Possessed ManA man had gone to the synagogue like many others to hear Jesus teach. However, the man had a demon. The Greek echo means to have and to hold, to possess. It is the basis for the term, possession, even though the Greek means having a demon. The demon is living in a person's body. Since there are many kinds of demons, there are many symptoms of possession. The man in Capernaum had an impure demon spirit. Impure is the Greek ajkavqarto" (akathartos), which is an adjective meaning impure or unclean. Impure applies to spirits, and unclean does not because spirits cannot be dirty. Impure means the demon spirits are contaminated by sin. In case there were any around who believed white magic to be good and black magic to be bad, Luke made it clear that this demon was impure.
And in the synagogue there was a man having an impure demon spirit, and he cried out with a loud voice.
While Jesus was teaching, the demon cried out with a loud voice. The demon could speak through the man without the man's permission (as with the demon Legion Mk 5:7, 9). Demons can speak through animals (Gen 3:1-5). Demons can also speak without being in a person at all. The demon yelled loudly, which indicates his highly agitated state. The demon had come face-to-face with the highest authority in all Creation, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sat on the Throne of God. The demon knew who Jesus was before He became a man, and he knew Jesus had the power of God.
The demon said,
Luke 4:34 The Demon Cries Out at JesusThe demon began with an interjection, which is the Greek e[a (ea), for "Ah!" or the sound of a scream of anxiety, or screech. Now, even though Luke wrote in Greek, the demon was speaking Aramaic to Jesus. However, an interjection that is simply the transliteration of a sound would come out the same in any language.
"Ah! What is there between us and you, Jesus the Nazarene? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!"
Next, the demon used an Aramaic idiom, "What is there between us and you?" This is language of a confrontation, which means the demon realizes the conflict between the Fallen Angels, who are in rebellion against Jesus Christ. This is like turning the corner and coming face-to-face with the enemy. The demon addressed Jesus as the Nazarene, meaning from Nazareth. Jesus is the name for the humanity of Christ.
Then the demon asked if Jesus came to destroy "us" (the demons). Jesus Christ as the Sovereign executor of God over all Creation has the authority and power to send the demon to the dungeon of Hell, Tartarus. So, the demon understands the gravity of the situation. The Lord will indeed, lock Satan and his demons up during the Millennium. So, the demon is asking if this is the end?
Then the demon says that he knows who Jesus is, i. e. "the Holy One of God." This means that Jesus is the Angel of Jehovah, who was Holy and sat on the Throne of God in Heaven in ages past before the demon was kicked out of Heaven.
After the demon spoke, Jesus immediately shut him up to prevent him from disrupting the worship service.
Luke 4:35 ExorcismJesus "rebuked" the demon. "Rebuked" is part of the terminology of exorcism. Jesus opposed the demon by rebuking him. He commanded the demon to "be silent" and "come out from him." "Come out" is the Greek ejxevrcomai (exerchomai), from (ex, out) + (erchomai, come), meaning to come out or go out. Jesus had the authority in His humanity to cast out demons. God the Father gave Him that authority, and the power of God will back up Jesus Christ. Jesus is not using the power of His Deity, which is omnipotent. He is using God-given power in His humanity.
And Jesus rebuked him saying, "Be silent and come out from him!" And after the demon had thrown him down in the midst of them, he came out from him without injuring him at all.
Left with no choice but to get out, the demon threw the man down violently, probably on a stone floor. Demons indwelling people can bash their heads against concrete or dash them to the floor without so much as causing a bruise. The demon came out from the man without injuring him at all. The implication of the verse is that the man was not injured at all by the demon in the fall or after, and then the demon came out of him. Removal of the demon was violent and traumatic.
This was an exorcism conducted by Jesus Christ during the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union as a demonstration of His authority as the King. God the Father gave Jesus the power in His humanity to cast out demons as credentials of the King (Matt 12:28; Mk 1:34; 16:17-18). Jesus had authority and power over Satan's demons.
Luke 4:36 The Crowd is AmazedThe people who saw all this were amazed. This is one of the many reference to people being amazed by demonstrations of the credentials of the Lord Jesus Christ as King (Mt 9:33; 12:22-23; Mk 1:27; 7:37; Lk 4:32; 10:17). The people began discussing what Jesus had done and asked, "What is this command (word)?" "Command" is the Greek logos, meaning word of command or commandment (Matt 8:16; Mk 1:27). They were wondering about the basis for the demonstration of the authority of Jesus over demons. They noted that Jesus had the authority and power to cast out demons and force them to come out.
And amazement came upon all, and they were discussing it with one another saying, "What is this command? For by authority and power He commands the impure spirits and they come out."
Luke 13:11 Hunchback WomanThe woman had a demon that caused a physical infirmity. She was bent double. The Greek sugkuvptw (sugkupto), from (sun, together with) + (kupto, bend (oneself) down) = be bent over; to be bowed down, bent double. The infirmity is called Kyphosis (from Greek kufov" (kuphos), hunchbacked). The person's spine may be bent forward near the shoulders or further down. The woman had the problem for 18 years, where 18 is for a pillar, which symbolizes historical impact.
And behold, there was a woman having a spirit that caused an infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and was unable to raise herself up at all.
The woman was bent over and could not raise herself up at all. This is common of the infirmity, which displaces the vertebrae such that the spine cannot be straightened. So, the demon caused the problem, but the woman's spine was hopelessly displaced.
Luke 13:12After Jesus saw the woman in the synagogue, He had mercy and released her from her infirmity. Here the Greek ajpoluvw (apoluo) is from (apo, from) + (luo, to free) = to be freed. It is in the perfect tense, which means freed, or released, permanently. She was cured and the infirmity would not return.
But after seeing her, Jesus called her and said to her, "Woman, you are released permanently from your infirmity."
However, to straighten her spine back out required a miracle because her back was permanently deformed.
Luke 13:13Jesus laid His hands on her and she was immediately restored to erect posture. This was a miracle of healing. The Spirit of God straightened her back and left her without pain. She responded by glorifying, or praising, God.
And He laid His hands upon her and immediately she was restored to erect posture. And she glorified God.
This was not the end of the story, however. The legalist in charge of the synagogue took issue with healing on the Sabbath.
Luke 13:14The "official" was the leader or president of the synagogue, whose duty was to take care of the physical arrangements for the worship services. He became indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He even made up a rule, since nothing in the Mosaic Law prohibited healing on the Sabbath.
But the synagogue official answering, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, "There are six days in which one must work. In them therefore you should come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath Day."
Jesus, however, retaliated against the legalists who raised the complaint.
Luke 13:15Jesus called them a bunch of hypocrites because they would do more work watering their animals on the Sabbath than He did healing.
But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water?"
Luke 13:16Jesus pointed out that the woman was a descendant of Abraham, a Jew, whom Satan had bound for 18 long years. This was Satan's cursing of the Jews in violation of Genesis 12:3. Satan gave the orders to the demon to bind her. He did so because he hates the Jews and is in a rebellion against God. He is in a war, where it is kill or be killed. He wants to eliminate the Jews to prevent the fulfillment of the unconditional promises to Israel at the Second Advent. Satan is full of hate and animosity toward his enemies. He engages in torture and murder under the principle that the end justifies the means.
"But this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound eighteen long years, was it not necessary that she should be released from this bond on the Sabbath?"
Jesus encountered the woman on the Sabbath and concluded that something needed to be done to alleviate her suffering. He saw no reason to wait until a weekday to perform the healing. So, He released her from her bond on the Sabbath. His explanation humiliated the legalists and caused the crowd of spectators to be very Happy.
Jesus and his disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee and landed on the East side in the region of Gerasa, which is one of the ten cities of the Decapolis (Matt 8:28; Mk 5:1). As they disembarked, their way was blocked by two very dangerous demon-possessed men. The parallel passages in Mark and Luke only refer to one of the men.
Matthew 8:28The two demon-possessed men, who were dangerous and prone to violence, blocked the road, and no one was strong enough to pass by. The men lived among the tombs and were very strong.
And after He had come to the other side into the county of the Gadarenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, who were coming out of the tombs. They were so dangerous that no one was strong enough to pass by that road.
Mark 5:3-4Mark describes one of the men as being so strong that he could not be bound with chains, including shackles and manacles. He was so strong due to demon possession that no one was strong enough to subdue him. Luke adds that the man did not wear any clothes.
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him with chains any longer, 4 Because he often was securely bound with shackles and manacles, and the manacles were torn apart by him, and the shackles were smashed by him, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Luke 8:27The man had not worn any clothes for a long time. And he lived in the tombs, the place of the dead. Demons are attracted to the dead. They are behind necromancy.
And after he had disembarked upon the land, He met a certain man out of the city who had demons; and for a long time he had not put on clothes, and he was not living in a house but in the tombs;
Mark 5:5The man screamed all night and all day among the tombs and in the nearby mountains. And he gashed himself with stones due to his deranged frustration from demon possession.
And throughout all night and day among the tombs and in the mountains, he was screaming and gashing himself with stones.
Mark 5:6-7When the demon-possessed man saw Jesus, he ran and bowed down before Him. The man was not operating independently, but demons were in control of him. He bowed down to Jesus, not from respect, but to secure favor. He uttered the Aramaic idiom, "What is there between us?" and addressed Jesus as the Son of the Most High God. He knew Jesus was the One who sat on the Throne of God. He implored Jesus not to torment him because Jesus had been telling the demons to come out of the man, and Jesus had the power to send the demons to Tartarus.
6 After seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What is there between me and you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!"
Mark 5:8Jesus had been commanding the impure spirit to come out of the man.
For you see, He (Jesus) had been saying to him, "Come out from the man, impure spirit."
Luke 8:29When the demon seized the man, the man had super human strength and broke his shackles and chains. The man would escape from his guard and be driven by the demon into the desert (deserted region). Desert regions are the haunt of Satan and his demons (Isa 13:21-22; 34:14; Jer 50:39).
For you see, He had commanded the impure spirit to come out from the man; for many times he had seized him, and he was bound with chains and shackles and was kept under guard; yet, breaking his bonds apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.
Mark 5:9When Jesus asked the demon his name, the demon said his name was Legion because there were many demons. A legion of the Roman army consisted of 4,000 to 6,000 men. Thus, the number of demons may have been over a thousand. This would be like a demon swarm.
And He (Jesus) asked him, "What is your name?" And he replied to him, "My name is Legion, for we are many.
Mark 5:10The demon in the man pleaded with Jesus not to send him out of that part of the country.
And he pleaded with Him (Jesus) urgently that He should not send them out of the country.
Luke 8:31The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the Abyss, which is Tartarus, the dungeon of Hell, where the demons from the Flood are locked up. This explains why the demons were terrified of Jesus Christ because He had the power to send them to the Abyss.
And they begged Him that He should not command them to go away into the Abyss.
Mark 5:11When the demons realized that Jesus was casting them out, they requested permission to enter a nearby herd of hogs.
Now, there was there near the mountain a large herd of hogs feeding.Matthew 8:31
And the demons begged Him saying, "Since You are casting us out, send us into the herd of hogs."
Mark 5:13When Jesus gave the demons permission, they entered the herd of hogs. This spooked the hogs, and they rushed headlong down a steep bank into the Sea of Galilee. "Steep bank" is the Greek krhmnov" (kremnos), meaning a cliff or a steep slope or bank. In that area on the East side of the Sea of Galilee, steep slopes from high hills with ravines run down to the sea. The herd of about 2,000 hogs stampeded down the steep slope into the sea and drowned. That was a very big herd and indicates a very lucrative business of the Gentiles. This was a major enterprise for supplying pork to large cities, not just supplying the needs of local villages.
He (Jesus) gave them permission, and having gone out, the impure spirits entered into the hogs, and the herd rushed headlong down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand, and were drowned in the sea.
Mark 5:14The herdsmen fled and reported the news of the demise of the hogs to the people in the city and on the farms. They came to see what had happened.
And the herdsmen fled and reported it into the city and into the country, and the people came to see what it was that had happened.
Mark 5:15-16The people came and saw the formerly demon-possessed man sitting at the feet of Jesus (Luke 8:35). "Demon-possessed" is the Greek daimonivzomai (daimonizomai), meaning to be possessed by a demon. The man was no longer demon-possessed as described in Mark 5:18; Luke 8:35. He was completely clothed and in control of himself. "In control of himself" is the Greek swfronevw (sophroneo), from (sos, sound) + (phroneo, think) = to be of sound mind, sane; show self-control; refers to being rational, thinking within the Spiritual control limits (Rom 12:3). The man, who was formerly insane, was in his right mind. Thus, removing the demons cured the man's insanity.
15 They came to Jesus and observed the demon-possessed man sitting, completely clothed, and in control of himself, the one who had had the legion; and they became frightened. 16 And those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man and concerning the hogs.
Mark 5:17After hearing the report of what had happened, the people where frightened, and they refused to believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore, they asked Jesus to leave (Luke 8:37). They had rejected Salvation; so, Jesus prepared to leave.
And they began to implore Him (Jesus) to depart from their region.
Mark 5:18As Jesus was getting in the boat to leave, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go along with Jesus.
And while He (Jesus) was getting into the boat, the one who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might stay with Him.
Mark 5:19Jesus refused to let the man accompany Him but sent him back home to report all the Lord had done for him in showing him mercy.
And He did not permit him, but said to him, "Go into your home to your relatives and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and has shown mercy on you."
Mark 5:20The man departed and proclaimed publicly in the Decapolis the great things Jesus had done for him. And the people who heard were amazed at his testimony. The man's problem was the demons. Once the demons were removed the man was normal. He believed in Jesus Christ and went out immediately and evangelized the Decapolis.
And he departed and began to proclaim publicly in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.
The demons called Legion made a man into a violent, uncontrollable savage with super human strength. He was antisocial, wouldn't wear clothes, lived in the tombs among the dead, and tried to block the path of Jesus Christ. He was a deranged maniac and an insane psychopath. His problem was neither physical or psychological. It was spiritual. He was demon possessed. Medical doctors and psychiatrists could not treat him, guards could not keep him captive, and no man was strong enough to subdue him. However, once the demons were removed, he was perfectly normal.
The same demons which drove the man insane, did the same to a herd of hogs. When the demons entered the hogs, they were spooked and panic-stricken. The shock of the demons drove the hogs to their death. Thus, demons which cause aberrant behavior in humans, can cause the same behavior in animals. Animals can be possessed by demons just as people can.
Demons can cause anxiety and hysteria, psycho-neurotic behavior. Anxiety can produce all manner of physical and psychological symptoms and infirmities. Demon attacks must be dealt with spiritually. When a person lacks the Spiritual capacity for life to withstand the attack, the soul and body may suffer in all manner of ways from anxiety to depression.
Author: Larry Wood, Released - May 3, 2013 - Revised May 14, 2014
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