Sat 25 Jun 2011
A Neat (and Biblical and Traditional) Story About Where Demons Came From
Posted by Shammah under Bible, Modern Doctrines
[8] Comments
You really need to read the previous post so you’re caught up on why I’m telling you a story from the Book of Enoch and claiming it’s Biblical and historical.
(But don’t tell anyone I told you because the stuff I wrote yesterday is a family secret, stuffed away in the cellar, and we’re all supposed to pretend it’s not there.)
First …
Demons Are Not Fallen Angels
The fallen angels from Genesis 6? The sons of God? According to Jude 6 and 1 Pet 3:19, they’re in eternal chains, awaiting the day of judgment. They’re out.
The third of the angels that fell in the beginning with the devil? Have you ever looked at where that modern idea comes from?
The only place that discusses such a fall of angels is Revelation 12. Do we really think Revelation 12 happened before the creation of mankind? Why? Is Revelation 11 about pre-history? Is Revelation 13 about pre-history? What in that chapter makes us claim that it happened before mankind was created??? That’s just bizarre.
Worse, we’re making a plausible but far less than certain interpretation by saying that the third of the stars thrown to the earth by the dragon are angels rebelling against God. He does have some angels, but they are not necessarily fallen angels from God. The Greek word angelos means messenger. We’re leaving it untranslated when we render it as angel.
And, yes, there are several places in the New Testament where angelos is used of messengers who are not heavenly beings. (7 of them; Matt. 11:10 is one, and Luke 7:24 is another.)
Anyway, the fallen angel theory doesn’t have much to support it.
The Book of Enoch Story Which Early Christians Believed
Early Christians believed the story that was in the Book of Enoch (which was quoted by Jude and reference by Jude concerning Genesis 6, but we’re not supposed to tell you that because it’s a buried in the attic family secret).
Anyway, that story says that God was very angry with those angels who didn’t guard their origin and who went to earth and took wives. They had children who were giants, or Nephilim, in Hebrew.
The giants were also judged because they were destroying the world.
Their judgment wasn’t the same as their angelic fathers, who were reserved in eternal chains for the day of judgment (Jude 6 and the Book of Enoch). Instead, God killed them, and he cursed their spirits to wander the earth forever.
Those are the demons.
Justin Martyr, for example, comments:
But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons. (Dialogue with Trypho 5)
So now we have the testimony of the Book of Enoch, which seems backed up by the Epistle of Jude, which was obviously believed by Justin Martyr.
What about elsewhere in Scripture?
Well, my Scriptural argument would include "Legion," the 2,000 demons that were in the demoniac in Mark 5. Have you ever wondered why those demons didn’t want to leave the country? Or why they would ask if they could enter pigs?
If demons are spirits of the judged Nephilim, then they may still be attached to the areas they lived in when they were alive. If the curse of wandering the earth as a disembodied spirit is really a curse, then they may long to live in bodies through possession. Matthew 12:43 does mention that when a demon is cast out, it wanders through dry places and can’t find rest.
Interesting, huh?
@Adam Walker
The LORD let haSatan walk freely into the Garden so is it not possible that the same reason he was allowed so too the giants. Testing to see who mankind will will trust/believe seems to be a daily portion for everyone.
@Ed Kahrman
I don’t know with Jesus being able to walk walk on water before His resurrection and then walk through doors and even eat afterwards pretty much evens the playing field of a miraculous birth.
Answers to questions of why and how will be really interesting if G-d deems fit to answer them (I for one would like to know).
I cannot argue with your references, but I have always wondered how angels, which are spirits, could procreate. In my mind, this also would diminish the miraculous birth of Jesus.
I don’t have any problems just thinking that the spiritual realm is the spiritual realm. We don’t know much about it. With nothing with which to judge such stories, I don’t add any “This doesn’t make sense to me” type judgments. I’m just weighing what little information we do have. Keep in mind that Peter describes them as “not keeping their first estate,” which I think is better translated “not guarding their origins.” Maybe they are capable of being a bit more corporeal than we generally assume.
Pretty interesting stuff. I don’t really doubt it. I guess my one question about this is, why would God condemn the Giants to roam the earth resulting in the torment of Humans? That seems odd to me, that God would essentially create and then designate spirits knowing then would torment people. Thoughts? Maybe I’m missing something here and just need to read the PDF…
Those “why” questions … Those are rough. I have this awesome cop out: my gift is teaching and research. I just look it up, pass it on, and let you work with it. Maybe we ought not pay any attention to the Book of Enoch, though I think there’s something more than that. Actually, avoiding the cop out, what’s true is that the question you ask is the sort of question a short blog post like mine ought to arouse to provoke further thought.
Really great stuff, would make for a great movie.
What I don’t understand is why the fictionalization of our scripturs Why translate most every thing and then leave Angelos untranslated and make up a myth about it. It seems quite simple translated. What else do you have hidden in your basement???
I’m trying to find out myself!
GREAT POST. Looking forward to reading The Book of Enoch.