Demon Possession

David Grabbe continues his exposition of Dominion Theology, a doctrine derived in part from a misapplication of two parables in Matthew 13:32-33, both of which assume that the phenomenal growth of 1.) the mustard plant into a grotesque tree housing birds and 2.) the leavening which puffs up the dough, indicates that the Kingdom of God was to spread through the dramatic growth of church membership. The point of the mustard plant was that it had become a habitation for demons, while the meaning of the growth of leavened dough was that the Kingdom of God had grown corrupt by becoming leavened with Halakhic traditions, including bald-faced pagan traditions, Gnostic varieties of Judaism, and shameless hypocritical behavior exhibited by the Jewish leadership of Christ's time. Dominion theology is one of the dangerous false doctrines threatening to leaven God's Church. Certainly, God is not finished with physical Israel, but the Israel of God has the unique opportunity to "do it right" by consuming the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

John Ritenbaugh, citing a recent Whistleblower article noting that our society is suffering from mass delusion, a destructive tsunami triggered by the 'progressive' far-left, defines the noun delusion as a false fixed belief held with dogged persistence despite evidence to the contrary. Some mass delusions have produced negligible consequences, such as Big Foot, UFO, and Elvis sightings, but other mass delusions, such as the Salem Witch Trials, have led to innocent lives snuffed out. The current leftist, 'progressive,' impeach-Trump rage is stirring up hatred among the misinformed and under-informed citizenry in massive proportions. As Goebbels observed, if the media tells a lie long enough, it begins to be accepted in the public consciousness and believed by the gullible masses. As the end of the age approaches, the man of sin, under Satan's powerful demonic sway, will delude most of the world. As God's called-out ones, we need to steer clear of the tentacles of the media and mass culture, realizing that believable or plausible lies have led to tragic consequences.

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, he faced a tragic situation in the demon possession of a young boy. Martin Collins discusses the boy's affliction in terms of its medical description, intensity, defilement, and deadliness.

All of the synoptic gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—contain the story of Jesus, after His transfiguration on the mountain, casting the demon out of the young boy who would have seizures and fall into the fire or into water. Martin Collins explains why the disciples could not cast the demon out themselves and why Jesus could and did.

Jesus Christ's exorcism of the daughter of a woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon was more than just another astounding miracle. It also brings out the surprising depth of the woman's faith in Him. Martin Collins expounds on this faithful Gentile's persistence and humility in pursuing Christ's favor on her daughter's behalf.

Charles Whitaker, reflecting on a recent hornet infestation at his house, notes that throughout the Bible, hornets are associated with terror. Today God seems to be allowing deadly infestations of both insects and deadly micro-organisms to plague modern Israel, which can spread and overwhelm the host. The infestation sometimes can be slow and surreptitious, developing perniciously and secretly behind the scenes, taking its hapless victim by surprise. Recently, pernicious left-wing progressive liberals have infested the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government, threatening to destroy the country with deadly economic, social, and political policies. The plagues of Egypt, including frogs, flies, and locusts, are classic examples of the devastation, wrought from overwhelming hoards of creatures. Another kind of deadly infestation comes from demons or demonic forces, as exemplified by the hapless victim in Mark 5 who was inhabited with a legion of demons. When Jesus cast out the demon from the man in Luke 11:14-26, He cautioned that expulsion be followed with occupation, guarding our assets (our talents, reputation, relationships, and trust), relying on our Strong Man Jesus Christ, but also putting on the full spiritual armor of God. We need to be careful that demonic spirits do not wrest our sword away from us, quoting scriptures to support doctrines of demons. Let us guard our minds, occupying their contents with Godly knowledge to avoid unwanted "house guests."

Jesus Christ performed many miracles, including exorcisms of demons like the evil spirits He cast out of the men near Gadara. Martin Collins explains the significant changes that occurred in the men once the demons were gone.

Most of the gospel accounts of Jesus casting out demons are impersonal, merely stating the fact that He did so. However, the exorcism in Matthew 8:28-34 is quite detailed. Martin Collins concentrates on the facts that the demon-possessed men were unclean and that God's Word is powerful and efficacious.

David C. Grabbe:  The landscape of religion is shifting. While Christendom has claimed the largest number of adherents for centuries, present trends strongly indicate that we are living in a religious axial period, a time when the old order and powers decay and are replaced by new powers. Barring a radical course correction, adherents of Islam will outnumber professing Christians very shortly—perhaps in as few as twenty years. ...

The gospels contain many mentions of Jesus freeing the demon-possessed from evil spirits. Martin Collins begins a multipart study on the two demoniacs at Gadara, explaining how demons exercise their powers and the difference between demon influence and demon possession.

Richard Ritenbaugh, contrasting Noah's optimistic reaction with Coleridge's despondent ancient mariner upon seeing endless bodies of water, suggests that Noah's optimism stemmed exclusively from his faith in God. Most skeptic scientists attempt to relegate Noah's flood as a biblical fairy tale. As much as the flood was a natural occurrence, it was also a supernatural occurrence, in which a loving God brought a hopelessly wicked world to an end. In Genesis 6:1-4, the conundrum about angels marrying people could be explained by demon possessed people cohabiting with other human beings, resulting in virtual "sons of Satan," otherwise known as Nephilim, a totally degenerate aggressive evil people, bred to dominate. This period of degeneracy was contemporaneous with the time of Enoch and Lamech, in the sixth generation from Adam, lasting approximately 1000 years, ending with the life of Noah. At the end of this degenerate time, Noah was commissioned to build an ark, a period in which time he intermittently preached to a people dead in their sins, a time perilously similar to current times, when every impulse is inclined to evil-doing, with no constraint whatsoever, having a totally seared conscience. Noah, like us, was called out of a sinful world at the end time-the most degenerate and violent time ever-but had to continue living in the world, walking with God. As the sinful society was destroyed by water in Noah's time, it will be destroyed by fire in our time.

During His ministry, Jesus Christ was frequently asked to cast demons out of people. Martin Collins dissects the exorcism Jesus performed in the synagogue in Capernaum, revealing both the authority and the mercy of God.

Richard Ritenbaugh focuses on Christ's teachings on the Holy Spirit, expanding into its more complex spiritual parameters. Jesus instructs about the function of the Holy Spirit to carry out God's work, including inspiring one to speak the words of God as a witness and to cast out demons and resist the power of Satan. To deliberately attribute these powers to the Devil (to call good evil), willfully denying God's power to save, constitutes blasphemy against God's Spirit—the unpardonable sin. The Spirit sets apart, inspires the preaching of the gospel, provides healing, frees from bondage, and opens the eyes to truth. It plays a major role in enabling one to become born again, motivating, inspiring, and transforming us from lowly, sinful humans to righteous children of God. Our sole means of worship must be in spirit and truth—living in the Spirit—manifesting concrete acts of service and obedience and deploying rivers of living water.

Is there a distinction between black and white magic? Martin Collins in his exploration of the fastest growing religion in the United States (witchcraft) traces both practices to Satan the Devil. The Bible clearly condemns charmers, divination, gnosticism, necromancy, soothsayers, sorcery, spiritism and witchcraft, identifying all of these practices as hideous abominations, based upon lying, idolatry, and contacting evil demonic spirits.

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) is responsible for influencing the Zeitgeist (dominant spirit or mindset of the time)pulling us away from God and His commandments. Our heart at the time of conversion is incurably sick (Jeremiah 17:9) incapable of being repaired, but only replaced. God deliberately places His called-out ones in a position of choosing the temporal allurement of the world or eternal life (Matthew 6:24) Guarding our heart (Proverbs 4:23) and setting it upon spiritual treasures (Matthew 6:19-23) will enhance our spiritual security.

John Ritenbaugh explores the connection between feelings or emotions (specifically controlling temper) and health, suggesting that the scriptures are seemingly light years ahead of scientific inquiry. Also the inextricable connection between ceremonial sacrifices and new moons preclude any current obligations to religiously observe new moons. At the beginning of Acts 16, we notice that Paul, by circumcising Timothy, demonstrates a reluctance to flaunt his religious liberty, preferring instead to exercise cautious conservative expediency. The first European convert to Christianity was Lydia, a generous, hospitable woman. The beating and false imprisonment of Paul and Silas (for casting out a demon- upsetting local customs) followed by their miraculous release (when an earthquake shook the prison to its foundations) brought about several positive outcomes: (1) The conversion of the bewildered jailer and his family, (2) Protection for local converts to Christianity,(3) Protection for future evangelists coming through the region, and (4)Correction of local authorities for rushing to judgment, having imprisoned a Roman citizen (a punishable offense in the Roman colony of Philippi). This dramatic episode underscores God's proclivity for turning something initially evil into something good in the long run.