Welcome to Buttafleye Ministry Interactive Bible Study. Theme: Fallen Angels, Giants, Demons, & Aliens. This study topic is "What Does the Bible Say About Demons?". Please join this FREE study or other studies of interest. JOIN STUDY
In the Bible, we see demons, sometimes called spirits, influencing people and even taking over their bodies. Demon possession is limited to the New Testament, although demons are mentioned in the Old Testament: Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15. Some translations call them "devils" or "goat idols."
Key Topics:
What Does the Bible Say About Demons?
Demons in the Old Testament Apocrypha
Who is Beelzebub in the Bible?
Who is Mammon in Bible?
Classification of Demons
Lanterne of Light Classification of Demons
Spina's Classification of Demons
What are the 7 Demons?
What are the references to Demons in the Bible?
Points to Remember About Demons
What Does the Bible Say About Demons?
Demons have been the subject of popular movies and novels, but are they real? What does the Bible say about them?
According to Scripture, demons are fallen angels, banished from heaven with Satan because they rebelled against God:
"Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth." (Revelation 12:3-4). These "stars" were fallen angels who followed Satan and became demons. This passage implies that a third of the angels are evil, leaving two-thirds of the angels still on God's side, to fight for good. In the Bible, we see demons, sometimes called spirits, influencing people and even taking over their bodies. Demon possession is limited to the New Testament, although demons are mentioned in the Old Testament: Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15. Some translations call them "devils" or "goat idols." During his three-year public ministry, Yeshua (Jesus Christ) cast out demons from many people. Their demonic afflictions included being mute, deaf, blind, convulsions, superhuman strength, and self-destructive behavior. The common Jewish belief at the time was that all illness was caused by demon possession, but a key passage separates possession into its own class: News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. ( Matthew 4:24)
What Does the Bible Say About Demons?
Yeshua (Jesus) cast out demons with a word of authority, not a ritual. Because Christ had supreme power, demons always obeyed his commands. As fallen angels, demons knew Yeshua's true identity as the Son of God before the rest of the world, and they were afraid of him. Perhaps the most dramatic encounter Yeshua had with demons was when he cast multiple unclean spirits out of a possessed man and the demons asked Yeshua to let them inhabit a nearby herd of pigs: He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. (Mark 5:13) The disciples also cast out demons in Yeshua's name (Luke 10:17, Acts 16:18), although sometimes they were unsuccessful (Mark 9:28-29). Exorcism, the ritualized casting out of demons, is still conducted today by the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Anglican or Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church, and United Methodist Church. Several evangelical churches conduct a Prayer of Deliverance service, which is not a specific ritual but may be said for people in whom demons have gained a foothold.
Demons in the Old Testament Apocrypha
Abezethibou.
Abyzou.
Asbeel.
Asmodeus.
Azazel.
Beelzebub.
Mastema.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Abezethibou, Abezethibod, or Abezi-Thibod is a demon and fallen angel described in the pseudepigraphaTestament of Solomon. He followed Beelzebub upon his fall from heaven and became an important demon in Hell. However, after his treason[specify], he is left[how?] with one red wing. He later travelled to Egypt where he hardened the heart of Pharaoh and his advisors, and convinced them to pursue the fleeing Israelite slaves. In doing so, he drowns along with the army in the Red Sea, and becomes trapped in a pillar of water, though Beelzebub claims he will return for conquest.
In the Bible, the name Azazel (/əˈzeɪzəl,ˈæzəˌzɛl/; Hebrew: עֲזָאזֵלʿAzāʾzēl; Arabic: عزازيل, romanized: ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during Yom Kippur was sent. During the end of the Second Temple period, his association as a fallen angel responsible for introducing humans to forbidden knowledge emerged due to Hellenization, Christian narrative, and interpretation exemplified in the Book of Enoch. His role as a fallen angel partly remains in Christian and Islamic traditions.
Abyzou (Akkadian: 𒁹 𒄷 𒈫 𒁇 Dap.bi.zu) is the name of a female demon. Abyzou was blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality and was said to be motivated by envy (Greek: φθόνος phthonos), as she herself was infertile. In the Coptic Egypt she is identified with Alabasandria, and in Byzantine culture with Gylou, but in various texts surviving from the syncretic magical practice of antiquity and the early medieval era she is said to have many or virtually innumerable names.[1]
Abyzou (also spelled Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, Byzou etc.) is pictured on amulets with fish- or serpent-like attributes. Her fullest literary depiction is the compendium of demonology known as the Testament of Solomon, dated variously by scholars from as early as the 1st century AD to as late as the 4th.[2]
Asbeel (Heb. עזב azab "to abandon" + אל el "God", meaning "God has forsaken" or "deserter of God") is a fallen angel that appears in the first book of Enoch, chapter 69, verse 5:
"And the second was named Asbeel: he imparted to the holy sons of God evil counsel, and led them astray so that they defiled their bodies with the daughters of men."
Asbeel was listed as the second of five "satans" who led astray the Grigori by falling in love with humans. There were also Yeqon (or Yaqum, "he shall rise"), Gadreel ("wall of God"), Penemue ("the inside"), and Kasdaye ("Chaldean", "covered hand").
He is also referred to in the film "The Devil Inside", as a woman possessed shouts she is 'Asbeel'.
Asmodeus (/ˌæzməˈdiːəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἀσμοδαῖος, Asmodaios) or Ashmedai (/ˈæʃmɪˌdaɪ/; Hebrew: אַשְמְדּאָי, ʾAšmədʾāy; see below for other variations), is a prince of demons and hell.[1] In Judeo-Islamic lore he is the king of both daemons (jinn/shedim) and demons (divs).[2][3][4] Asmodeus is mostly known from the deuterocanonicalBook of Tobit, in which he is the primary antagonist,[5] or the Ars Goetia. In Peter Binsfeld's classification of demons, Asmodeus represents lust. The demon is also mentioned in some Talmudic legends; for instance, in the story of the construction of the Temple of Solomon. In Islam, he is identified with the "puppet" mentioned in the Quran, which dethrowned Solomon and reigned over his kingdom until he got his kingship back.
Beelzebub (/biːˈɛlzəbʌb, ˈbiːl-/[1] bee-EL-zə-bub, BEEL-; Hebrew: בַּעַל-זְבוּב Baʿal-zəḇūḇ) or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name Beelzebub is associated with the Canaanite god Baal.
In theological sources, predominantly Christian, Beelzebub is another name for Satan. He is known in demonology as one of the seven princes of Hell. The Dictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebub as a being capable of flying, known as the "Lord of the Flyers", or the "Lord of the Flies".
Mastema (Hebrew: מַשְׂטֵמָהMastēmā; Ge'ez: መሰቴማMesetēma) is an angel who appears in the Book of Jubilees. He carries out punishments for God, as well as tempting humans and testing their faith. In the Zadokite Fragments and the Dead Sea Scrolls, he is the angel of disaster, the father of all evil, and a flatterer of God. He is said to have become a fallen angel. the book of Jubilees
Who is Baphomet?
Baphomet is a deity allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templar that subsequently became incorporated into various occult and Western esoteric traditions. The name Baphomet appeared in trial transcripts for the Inquisition of the Knights Templar starting in 1307.
Who is Beelzebub in the Bible KJV? Beelzebub, also called Baalzebub, in the Bible, is the prince of the devils. In the Old Testament, the form Baalzebub is the name given to the god of the Philistine city of Ekron (II Kings 1:1–18).
Who is Mammon in Bible? mammon, a biblical term for riches, is often used to describe the debasing influence of material wealth. The term was used by Yahshua (Jesus) in his famous Sermon on the Mount and also appears in The Gospel According to Luke. Medieval writers commonly interpreted it as an evil demon or god.
What are the 7 demons?
This list was later used in the works of John Taylor, the Water Poet.
Lucifer: pride.
Beelzebub: envy.
Sathanas: wrath.
Abadon: sloth.
Mammon: greed.
Belphegor: gluttony.
Asmodeus: lust.
Classification of Demons
Lanterne of Light Classification of Demons
In 1409-1410 The Lanterne of Light (an anonymous English Lollard tract often attributed to John Wycliffe) provided a classification system based on the seven deadly sins, with each demon tempting people by means of those sins. This list was later used in the works of John Taylor, the Water Poet.
Lucifer: pride
Beelzebub: envy
Sathanas: wrath
Abadon: sloth
Mammon: greed
Belphegor: gluttony
Asmodeus: lust
Spina's Classification of Demons
Alphonso de Spina, in 1467, prepared a classification of demons based on several criteria:
Demons of fate
Incubi and succubi
Wandering groups or armies of demons can include multiple regions in hell
Familiars
Drudes
Cambions and other demons are born from the union of a demon with a human being.
Liar and mischievous demons
Demons that attack the saints
Demons that try to induce old women to attend Witches' Sabbaths
Four Princes of devils in the elements:
Samael: Fire
Azazel: Air
Azael: Water
Mahazael: Earth
Four Princes of spirits, upon the four angles of the world
Oriens: East
Paymon: West
Egyn: North
Amaymon: South
One prince of rebellion, of angels, and darkness:
Lucifer
Scale of binary
Two chiefs of the devils:
Behemoth
Leviathan
References to Demons in the Bible
What are the references to Demons in the Bible?
Demons in the Bible can refer to the forces of evil in the world as well as the devil himself. We are continually warned throughout scripture to be wary of demonic forces attempting to corrupt and influence. While many of the demons we must look out for are external, the Bible also reminds us we may have demons living within our own psyche that need to be recognized and expelled. According to the Bible, demons are involved in multiple activities.
They are organized under Satan in hierarchical levels known as rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Demons have the ability to “demonize” people. This is what the Bible identifies as demon possessed although the exact phrase, “demonic possession,” is never actually used in Scripture. People can be demonized which is another term for demonic possession (Luke 8:30).
Many believe that about one-third of the angels joined in rebellion with Satan against God Almighty. These fallen angels are what the Bible refers to as demons. The Bible never says that the number was actually one-third. However, that number has been speculated by many for a variety of reasons (Isaiah 14:12-15; and 2 Peter 2:4-10).
Demons are able to take shape, form, and be visible to humans (Job 4:15).
Demons may be exercised, or driven out, by a possessed person. However, this may be dangerous if not followed by stringent cleaning and discipleship. Without proper spiritual care, the person might then be open for a seven-fold infestation (Matthew 12:45).
Demons confuse the truth by utilizing demonic lies and half-truths (1 John 4:4).
Those who worship idols and pagan gods are really worshipping and sacrificing to demons. Demons live to deceive people into worshipping themselves (1 Corinthans 10:20-21).
The Bible teaches that demons can inhabit animals (Matthew 8:31).
During the time of the great tribulation, demons, who since the fall, have been imprisoned in the lowest level of hell, are released to wreck incredible pain and torture upon those who are not Christians (2 Peter 2:4-5, Revelation 9:1-7).
Demons will eventually be chained along with Satan in the lowest level of hell, often called the “Abyss”, where they will be tortured for eternity (Revelation 20:10).
God has given us every too necessary to stand against Satan and win. The best weapon we have in consistently defeating Satan is effective and constant discipleship.
Points to Remember About Demons
Demons often disguise themselves, which is why God forbids participation in the occult, seances, Ouija boards, witchcraft, channeling, or the spirit world (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
Satan and demons cannot possess a Christian (Romans 8:38-39). Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16); however, unbelievers are not under the same divine protection.
While Satan and demons cannot read a believer's mind, these ancient beings have been observing humans for thousands of years and are experts in the craft of temptation. They can influence people to sin.
The Apostle Paul was often attacked by Satan and his demons as he carried out his missionary work. Paul used the metaphor of the Full Armor of God to instruct Christ's followers on how to withstand demonic attacks. In that lesson, the Bible, represented by the sword of the spirit, is our offensive weapon to cut down these unseen enemies.
An invisible war of good vs. evil is going on all around us, but it's important to remember that Satan and his demons are a defeated enemy, conquered by Jesus Christ on Calvary. The outcome of this conflict has already been decided. At the end of time, Satan and his demonic followers will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire.
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Questions:
What Does the Bible Say About Demons?
Demons in the Old Testament Apocrypha
Who is Beelzebub in the Bible?
Who is Mammon in Bible?
Classification of Demons
Lanterne of Light Classification of Demons
Spina's Classification of Demons
What are the 7 Demons?
What are the references to Demons in the Bible?
Points to Remember About Demons
(Bonus) What did you learn about Demons?
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Extra Credit Question
What did you learn about Demons?
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What Does the Bible Say About Demons?
Demons are typically mentioned in the new testament and are usually spoken of in relation to possession and the casting out of demons.
Demons in the Old Testament Apocrypha
In the old testament demons are usually used as a world synonymously with that of “devils”. In the old testament the origins of the demons are given in Genesis at the same point of the origin of the Nephilim(Genesis 6:4). In the apocrypha, the origins are also listed such as in the book of Enoch which goes into great lengths of the transgression of the Nephilim. It is clear that demons are limited in their ability and movement and it is a commonly held…