Hey Zig Forums, I am about to read through the Bible from cover to cover and am currently in the Gospel according to Mark. In Mark 5 there is the story about Jesus casting demons into 2000 pigs that drown themselves in the river.
My problem is that nowhere in the OT are demons mentioned, no metaphysical manifestation of evil or anything in that kind. How are demons to be interpreted? Are bad/evil spirits mental illnesses? And if so, why would Jesus cast such into pigs to drown them?
It is not the miraculous work that is unbelievable, but the borderline-contradictory to the OT. The closest mentioning of a demon in the OT I can think of are "Sons of Belial", which are plain evil men. I don't associate Satan with inherent evil, because he takes the role of the accuser in the OT, and the leader role of the deceivers, slanderers and liars, hence don't take his mentioning in a literal, but more in a metaphorical sense.
Deut 32:17 Psa 106:37 Lev 17:7, Isa 13:21, 2 Cor 11:15
Jordan Wright
Sometimes demons or related terms ARE used as a metaphore, like mammon is used as metaphore for human greed in the Gospel, but that doesnt mean that it always s metaphore. Fallen angels do exist and Bible is pretty straight about it. As for "sons of belial" and "sons of" in general, when not used regarding God's relationship to humans (Who actually CREATED us and plus due to Jesus becoming human we are sort of his adopted children) or in context of biological parents, it takes meaning of a mentor, or something similar. BTW there are demons mentioned in the old testament. Hebrew word for them is "Shedim".
Camden Kelly
This. Also the book of Tobit has such demonic oppression as a central point.
Something to perhaps remember is that before this demons dealt with men alone, who often actually worshipped them as gods. Don't you think it therefore fits that they start to unveil themselves and freak out when the Godman Himself appears before them?
You should associate him with inherent evil, because this is what he is. His role as accuser doesn't lessen or contradict his own evil. The problem with your thinking too is that if it's just a metaphor then so too is salvation, and thus our salvation is vain.
Ryder Evans
What exactly is so good about him being an accuser? Both times we see him do it in scripture Satan hatefully slanders men who God held in high regard even when it would provoke God's anger
Colton Butler
1 Samuel 16, for example, has Saul being possessed/oppressed by an evil spirit of the Lord, after he was rejected. Incidentally, the same chapter also has David casting out the evil spirit, when he plays the harp.
Ryder Jackson
Imagen being so pissed off at God and Humans that one would constantly try to ruin everything nice just to show midfinger to us. Maybe a minor detail, but I feel intense disgust when I remember how pathetic demons are.
Jesus himself said As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
So then it makes sense that his presence alone would reveal many things that can normally keep hidden in life.
Liam Ortiz
You're kidding yourself if you think the ancient Hebrews didn't believe in demons. Evil spirits are one of the basic primitive beliefs of all humanity, and in Semitic religions that belief takes the form of fallen angels. The idea of demons was not introduced by Christians.
Angel Diaz
the Abrahamic idea is that the demons are not merely evil beings, but fallen-from-the-light evil beings, man becomes like the demons when we turn away from God. Moreover, that all other idols are either fake or demons.
