My Name is Legion -- Part 3

Some day, I may share with you the events which led to my belief in the potential for spirit-possession of the lower animals; but now is not that time. This much I can tell you, and I make no apology for it: during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus and His brethren, it is my great desire that I be given a position of trust over the fate of the angels that sinned so very long ago.

Note: From the previous week you may remember that Jesus had commanded the spirits possessing the man of Gadara to “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit(s)”:

“And they begged Jesus that he would not command them to go out into the deep.”

From the parallel biblical accounts, we find that the spirits begged Jesus:

(a) That he would not send them away out of the country.

(b) That he would not command them to go out into the deep.

What at first appear to be two somewhat different requests are in fact almost exactly the same. When the spirits begged Jesus not to send them away out of the country, the words used in the original text are “away” 649 = “apostello” i.e. to set apart; and “country” 5561 = “chora” i.e. empty expanse. Therefore the original text could have been translated to read: “The spirits begged Jesus that he would not set them apart into the empty expanse.”

The similar account, as it is recorded in Luke says: “They begged Jesus that he would not command them to go into the deep.” The word “deep” 12 = “abussos” depthless, is also translated in other parts of the Bible as “abyss”; or the “bottomless pit.” Ask any professing Christian about the fate of Satan and his demons and they will almost certainly tell you about the “lake of fire.” If you’re interested, you will find the lake of fire referred to in the book of Revelation chapters 19 & 20.

Having read what transpired between Jesus and the spirits to this point, you may find it as interesting as I do that these unclean spirits never even mention the lake of fire. What does seem to concern them is being sent off into emptiness, or into an abyss, or into a bottomless pit. There is an Old Testament reference which bears directly on this discussion; you will find it in the book of Leviticus 16:2-34.

Once a year, every year, on a specific day called the Day of Atonement, the high priest carried out a ceremony which involved two goats. One goat was to be killed, sacrificed as an offering for the sins of Israel. And then in Leviticus 16:21-22: “[The high priest] shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all of the sins of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the [live] goat, and he shall send it away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon it all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.”

As mentioned before, this ceremony was carried out each year by the high priest, on the Day of Atonement. The sacrifice of the first goat was prophetic of the coming of a Messiah; the blood of whose sacrifice would cover the sins of mankind -- once for all! That prophecy was fulfilled with the sacrifice of Jesus.

You should understand that only once a year, on the annual holy day called the Day of Atonement, could the high priest of the temple go behind the veil and enter the Holy of Holies where the mercy seat was located. This mercy seat was the earthly symbol of God’s heavenly throne; so that to enter behind the veil was to symbolically approach the very throne of Almighty God. Only the High Priest could pass behind the veil to enter this most holy place; and even then, only after an abundance of ritual-cleansing and blood-sacrifice.

The need for these rituals and sacrifices ceased with the death of Jesus. At the moment of his death, when the veil of the temple was torn in two, Jesus became our High Priest forever “after the order of Melchisedec.” From this we know that Jesus would for evermore have unlimited and unrestricted access to the actual throne of Almighty God.

Now we need to consider what happened to the second goat; the live goat that was “taken away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.” Notice Revelation 20:1-3: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit [the abyss].” The unclean spirits inhabiting the man from the tombs must know that at the appropriate time, at the end of this present age, it is the destiny of Satan that he be cast into the abyss where he will be kept in restraint for a thousand years.

I believe these spirits were concerned they may eventually have to share Satan’s fate. They were reasonably sure it was not yet time for this to happen; but they were still concerned that Jesus was actually going to cast them out into the deep. If you are still wondering when the lake of fire comes into play, you will find the chronology listed in Revelation 20:1-10.

“There was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain.”

More than thirty years have passed since I first took a great deal of interest in this verse. At that time I asked myself: “In a land inhabited by, and surrounded by a population who had as an important part of their religion an abhorrence of pig meat, why on earth would there be a herd of about two-thousand swine?” I was fascinated by the answer I came up with; and to this day I continue to believe the reasoning behind that answer is sound. For those of you who are interested, I discuss these thoughts in a short essay, published as part of “Bits and Pieces -- 2” which you will find in the Archives of the blogsite.

“And [the spirits] begged Jesus that he would allow them to enter into the swine.”

We are aware of examples where the human host was harmed in some physical way by possession, but such was not always the case. Consider the account of the damsel Paul and Silas encountered in the land of Macedonia:

Acts 16:16-18 “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And [it] came out that very hour.”

What we do not know is exactly why Paul finally became agitated; but I would draw your attention to the verse where it says: “And this she did many days…” If Paul knew this was a case of spirit possession why did he wait “many days” before casting out the offending spirit? Was it of little or no importance to Paul that the girl was possessed? Did it only become important to Paul when the possession began to disturb him?

Since Paul saw no pressing need to exorcise the spirit, is it reasonable to assume that he did not consider this possession to be a malignancy? Then again, if the spirit did not possess the girl “with evil intent,” why did it take possession of the girl?

If we admit to the inherent weakness of man, and agree to the power and immortality of angels, why would any angel ever want to inhabit a human body? The answer (if what I have come to believe is true) can be quite fascinating; I hope you will bear with me as I try to share my thoughts on why some of the spirit-world not only prefer, but seem to have a great need for possession of a life other than their own.

I mentioned earlier that at one time the angels may have believed that since possession had been condoned by God, it may also be justifiable by them should justification ever be necessary. The dictionary definition of the word “CONDONE” is “to overlook an offence or a shortcoming -or- to allow to be continued what ought to be stopped.”

The angels that were bound to the Earth following Satan’s rebellion had to wait an incredible length of time from the destruction of the Earth to the re-creation. What they did during this extended period is one of the many things I wait with great anticipation to discover. But if during all that time, the whole of the Earth existed only in a state of “chaos and confusion” (see Genesis 1:1-2), then where did the angels spend those millennia -- or does the condition of their habitation mean little or nothing to the spirit-world?

There is a little known legend which tells of a portion of the Earth where life could exist without regard to surface destruction. Interesting perhaps, but not relevant to our present discussion except in one possible respect. What if, long before the creation of man, even before the rebellion of Lucifer, some of the angels used possession of the lower animals as a form of existence and as a source of knowledge and understanding? We must always remember that although their first estate was to keep the Earth, their ultimate destiny was “...to serve those that [one day] shall inherit salvation.”

In order to carry out their ultimate destiny, I must believe that the more intimate their knowledge on every subject the better -- and there is much truth in the saying that you cannot properly understand another until you have, “spent a day in that other persons shoes.” By taking possession of a lower life-form, and living out the complete lifespan of that creature, the possessing-spirit would not only experience every facet of that creature’s life, but would in some vicarious way offset what had become the numbing boredom of its own existence.

Whatever the reason for the very first instance of spirit-possession, it seems this became a preferred form of existence for many of these angels. It would not surprise me to learn that such a vicarious form of existence made life more bearable for them while they waited throughout the eons for their destiny to unfold.

How long did it take from the creation of man for the first human possession to take place? Why did it take place? Whatever the reason for the first human possession, I believe the spirit(s) involved learned much from the experience; I can even accept that what they learned made it possible for them to claim justification of possession as a potential future benefit to mankind?

The threat of “the deep” hangs like the Sword of Damocles over all of the angels that sinned. They know that unless they are somehow pardoned for past wrongs their fate may be to follow Satan into the abyss. They know there will be a Day of Judgment for them and I believe they have a fair idea as to when that Day of Judgment will begin.

Almost two thousand years have passed since the time Jesus walked the Earth and still that Day of Judgment has not arrived. If Jesus had at that time cast out the spirits “into the deep,” then now, two thousand years later, they would still be there waiting for the thousand years of Satan’s incarceration to begin! Is it any wonder they were in such dread of being cast out “into the deep”?

These thoughts and questions may or may not have merit; but Jesus is now telling these spirits, with great authority, that possession of humans was wrong and would no longer be tolerated! Realizing they must obey Jesus and leave their human host, the greatest fear of these possessing spirits was not that they would simply be cast out; but that they would be cast out into “emptiness.” “And all the devils begged Jesus, saying: ‘Send us into the swine that we may enter into them.’”

Have we come any closer to answering the question: “Why would any angel make such a request”? The only reasonable answer I can come up with is that inhabiting a living body, even that of a pig was preferable to having no other living habitation! For whatever reason, these angels not only desired the habitation of a living being, they apparently felt a compelling need for it!

“Jesus said, ‘Go’!”... “And Jesus gave them leave.”... “And Jesus [allowed] them.”

I hope for your sake you understand what is happening here. Jesus gave these angels permission to enter into the swine! Jesus was letting them know that the possession of animals other than man was permitted!

I accept this as confirmation that to this day, some, perhaps most, of the angels that sinned are living out their waiting days by sharing the life experience of many of the lower animals. I believe that for the most part this is a benign possession; desiring only a habitation that would offer interest and variety to offset what for untold millennia must have become an existence with little or no purpose.

I believe that not only were they no longer allowed to inhabit man, but it was implicitly understood they must not involve themselves in any way (as spirit beings) with man. I am prepared to believe that some few demon spirits ignored this; but I believe the vast majority of the angels that sinned have remained obedient, and since that time to this have carried on their lives in complete non-interference with mankind.

“Then the devils went out of the man and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and was drowned.”

Did Jesus play a dirty trick on the spirits? Did he somehow deceive them into believing that if they would only leave the man and enter the swine they would be satisfied? I must believe that moving from the man to the swine was the spirits’ idea. Obviously it was not their first choice; their first choice was to inhabit the man; to inhabit the swine was simply a better choice than having no “living habitation” at all.

Please note what it says in Luke 11:24: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, [it] walks through dry places, seeking rest: and finding none, [it] says, I will return unto my [dwelling place] whence I came out.” For these spirits in the land of the Gadarenes, returning to the man from the tombs was not an option! Their only choice was to inhabit the swine or to: “…walk through dry places seeking rest.”

Note: To what does this refer when it tells us they “...walk through dry places”? We know that one of the first things God did at the time of the re-creation was to “separate the waters from the waters.” Can we assume from this that waters covered the Earth from the time of Lucifer’s rebellion to the time of the re-creation? Is it possible that the angels were made to exist in such an environment throughout what must have been countless millennia?

Genesis 1:9-10 “Then God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear’; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Did the spirits knowingly cause the swine to run down a steep place and drown? This I cannot believe! Surely the swine died in spite of the needs and desires of the spirits. I can believe that since they did not have time to prepare the swine for something as invasive as possession that the swine, as a collective herd, went completely out of control. For those of you who know anything about the “herd mentally” you know it often takes no more than a few swine, cows, sheep, buffalo, or even men, to upset and stampede the whole herd. In this case we are talking about the immediate and simultaneous possession of about two thousand animals; is it any wonder they acted the way they did?

When the swine died, what happened to the spirits? The answer is that nothing happened to them! Certainly, they must have had to wander for a while “seeking rest”; but at least they had not been sent to the bottomless pit -- not yet anyway! It is my belief, my hope, and my prayer, that the vast majority of those angels who once sinned will never see the inside of that pit. God willing, they will have a full, productive, and important part to play in the days to come during the time of God’s Kingdom here upon the Earth. But possibly, just possibly, even in the short time leading up to the triumphant return of Jesus and the setting up of His Father’s Kingdom.

Note: As much as I enjoy launching my thoughts into cyber-space each week, I find that my own studies have been suffering because of it. I doubt that anyone could properly understand (or believe) the work that goes into each message; or the fear I live with that something I say may cause one of my brethren to doubt or to stumble in their faith. It may be that I must soon place a pause in this blogsite -- at least long enough to catch up on the many subject-studies I’ve been delaying. Next week I hope to offer you a few more of the “snippets” of information I refer to as “Bits and Pieces -- 3.”

My Name is Legion -- Part 2

We learn from the Bible that “the Saints shall judge angels.” If there is to be any hope of redemption for the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion that hope must lie in the judgment of the Saints; but how prepared are we to effect righteous judgment? Who are these angels? Where have they been since the time of Lucifer’s rebellion? What have they been doing all this time? Are they all “demon spirits” worthy only of banishment or destruction in the lake of fire; or have some repented of their sin, wanting only to atone and to fulfill their created purpose as servants to the Saints? And now, the meeting of Jesus with the spirit whose name was Legion:

“When Jesus arrived in the country of the Gergesenes...”

Comment: Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee from the land of Galilee to the country of the Gergesenes -or- to the country of the Gadarenes. Matthew refers to it as the country of the Gergesenes (1086 = “one of the native inhabitants of Palestine.”) Mark and Luke refer to it as “the country of the Gadarenes” (1046 = “an inhabitant of Gadara.”) There is no conflict here; the Gergesenes were inhabitants of Gadara.
Also: The Sea of Galilee has been known at various times as the Sea of Galilee; the Lake of Gennesaret; Lake Chinnereth; and/or the Sea of Tiberias.

“...there met him two men...”

Comment: According to the account in Matthew, two men came out of the tombs to meet Jesus. Both of these men were possessed by devils but apparently only one of them played a significant part in the events which followed.

“...who had been possessed by devils [or evil spirits] for a long time.”

Comment: Before getting more deeply involved in this study, it may be helpful to show the original words used in the Bible when referring to spirit-beings and where that word is located in the passages under discussion. I suggest that you open your Bible and note the context of each word; try to understand why that particular word was chosen.
Also: I realize that much of the introduction to this study can be somewhat dry and uninteresting; all I can say is that it does get much, much better as we go along:

1139 = to be exercised by a demon -or- to be used by or possessed: Matthew 8:28 & 33; and Mark 5:15.

1140 = a demonic being: Luke 8:27 & 30 & 33.

1142 = a demon or supernatural spirit: Matthew 8:31; Mark 5:12; and Luke 8:29.

169/4151 = an unclean or impure spirit; Mark 5:2 & 8 & 13; and Luke 8:29.

“The possessed man had his dwelling among the tombs...”

Comment: It is apparent that this man lived in, or in the area of the tombs. The account recorded in Luke is a little more specific in that it tells us he “lived not in a house.” Whether this means he lived out in the open or had found shelter in a cave or mausoleum is not known.

“...exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way...”

Comment: No man could pass by way of the tombs because of the fierceness of the men who were possessed; however, the people who lived in the land must have on occasion used force to subdue these men, because:

“...he had often been chained and fettered, yet he always broke the chains and fetters to free himself.”

Comment: Once subdued, the movements of these men were then restricted by leg fetters and chains. Assuming that the chains and fetters were forged of iron, and well made, it must have taken great strength to break them. And yet we are told that the man always managed to break his bonds; he always managed to free himself. We are also told that no man could tame him; was it natural strength or madness that gave this man physical powers which were greater than normal? There are many examples of humans showing almost super-human strength in situations of adversity; was that the case here?

“And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.”

Comment: In Mark and Luke we are told that the man was driven into the wilderness by the spirits and that day and night he would cry aloud and cut himself with stones. Did the demons force the man to injure himself? Does God permit demons to cause physical harm to those whom they possess?

In the book of Job 2:3-7 God allowed Satan to “smite Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto the crown of his head”; while in the New Testament there are several examples of illness or infirmity being healed by casting out an offending spirit. For some obscure reason not fully understood at this time, it appears that God did allow, and possibly still does allow, the possession of humans by spirit beings. However, while I do not believe they have God’s permission to arbitrarily injure those whom they possess, I can understand where the one possessed, in torment and confusion, might do harm to themselves.

Why would God ever allow possession? Assuming a greater power and intellect than man, why would any spirit, any angel, ever want to take over or possess a physical body? If, as I suspect, the incidence of human possession is far less today than in the time of Jesus, why would this be so?

“When [the possessed man] saw Jesus afar off, he ran and fell down before him and worshipped him...”

Comment: Was it the man, or the spirit in possession of the man, that fell down before Jesus and worshipped him? As much as I want to believe the man retained sufficient control and awareness to beg relief from his torment, the context makes it quite clear that the supplicant in this case was the spirit, not the man. There is also the probability that this man would have been unable to recognize Jesus for whom and what he was; the spirits however would have known Jesus, and would have had little or no choice but to show him a certain level of respect and obedience.

To what extent is the spirit world aware of what goes on in the temporal world? Their knowledge and experience predates the original creation where we are told they sang for joy at the beauty and perfection of it. They experienced the rebellion of Lucifer; they even played some part in that rebellion and saw the destruction and devastation it caused. They saw the re-creation of this world and experienced the introduction of man.

I believe the angels have the ability to see, experience, and remember everything that has taken place from the moment of their creation. I am, however, uncertain as to how much understanding they had, or have, of things yet to come. I do especially wonder at what point in time the Archangel Lucifer came to understand the destiny which God has prepared for mankind. How did Lucifer accept this understanding? What part, if any, did this knowledge play in his rebellion?

“Jesus said: ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.’”

Comment: According to the original scriptural texts, the words used by Jesus with reference to this spirit were “akathartos pneuma”; that is to say “akathartos” 169 = “unclean or impure” and “pneuma” 4151 = (figuratively) “spirit.” Jesus believed he had the authority to demand obedience from these possessing spirits. The words he used were in the form of a command; it was not a request. The spirits did not dispute Jesus’ authority; neither did they question their need to obey; however, although they did in fact comply with his demand that compliance was not immediate.

We need to remember that earlier in his ministry, Jesus had, “...rebuked [the spirits] and ordered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ” (Luke 4:41). In the account of the men from the tombs we find a spirit, or spirits, that remained neither silent nor immediately obeyed.

To get an even better understanding of the varying attitudes found within the spirit world you should read in Matthew 10:1 where Jesus sent out twelve of his disciples, “...giving them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out.” Then in Matthew 17 and Mark 9 we find a man whose son was possessed by a spirit; this man brought his son to the disciples but they were unable to cast out the spirit. Jesus explained to his disciples that their attempt failed due to their lack of faith. He further explained: “...this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.”

There are several things to be learned from all this. The disciples had previously been successful in casting out many spirits and in this case must have given their command fully believing the spirit would obey. Why then did they fail? Jesus said it was due to their lack of faith; but having succeeded many times before, why would they have reason to doubt in this case? Is belief in a successful outcome not faith? If their belief was not realized does this constitute an absence of faith; or simply a lack of sufficient faith?

Is there a way for us to measure belief? Jesus said: “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove…’” When the disciples failed to cast out the spirit troubling the young boy, did not one of them “have faith as a grain of mustard seed”; or is it that we have an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of the message Jesus was trying to convey?

The faith of the disciples had been sufficient in previous attempts to cast out evil spirits, but it is my belief that in this case the power of this particular spirit was greater than the faith of the disciples! Jesus was telling them there are different spirits; some are more powerful, and some are more evil. If what I believe is true, then it may also be that some are patiently awaiting judgment while others believe they have gone beyond the point of redemption and have rejected all thought of repentance. Nevertheless, in this instance Jesus said: “This kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.”

“And behold, [the spirits] cried out saying, ‘What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come to torment us before our time?’”

Comment: When Jesus ordered the spirits to come out of the man, did he expect immediate obedience? He didn’t get it! What was the response of the spirits and how was that response received by Jesus? How I wish these scriptures had been written to give us a better understanding of His emotions during this encounter. Was he upset; or offended? Did the apparent disobedience of the spirits make him angry? Can we be sure that the response of the spirits was disobedience? There is so much to wonder about in the words spoken by the spirits that once again I feel it necessary to break down the whole and examine it line by line, point by point:

(a) “And the spirit(s) cried out with a loud voice...” Did the spirit actually speak out loud? If so, what language did it use? There are scriptural examples of Jesus hearing words spoken by God or angels that others could not hear. In this case, especially when it was recorded by three different disciples, I tend to believe they were able to hear and understand this confrontation.

(b) “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you son of God…” Boy oh boy oh boy! I can almost hear the spirits speaking in the vernacular of today and saying: “Don’t bother me man, I know my rights!” They recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. They knew he had been given power and authority by God the Father. But they also knew that Jesus had come to fulfil a specific purpose in the plan of Almighty God; a plan which He is working out here upon the Earth and that it did not, at that time, include any form of dispensation towards the angels that once had sinned. It was not yet time for these angels to be judged -- and they knew it!

(c) “Are you here to torment us before our time?” The spirits know that the time is coming when they will be called to account for their past conduct. It is my hope that a majority of them will be received with understanding and with compassion; God willing, for most of them judgment will not be overly severe. However, the Scriptures make it quite clear that within the realm of angels, as it is amongst men, there are those that face a future without redemption.

The Bible, when referring to the sins of mankind is quite explicit when it tells us “the wages of sin is death.” For those to whom the sacrifice of Jesus will either be refused or rejected that punishment will amount to death for all eternity. Those who believe in a literal hell, whose fires torment the sinner forever, do not even begin to understand the basic compassion of our Creator. For those who cannot, or will not live within the bounds of righteousness, oblivion for eternity is the only merciful solution.

My understanding of the Scriptures leads me to believe that for the angels this option of oblivion may not apply. The angels are spirit, and spirit has eternal life; so that logically we are being told the angels cannot die. Whatever the future holds for “impure spirits” is yet to be determined, but for these spirits in the land of the Gadarenes what mattered most was that their time of judgment was not yet! “Are you here to torment us before our time” they said. This question, or statement, was one which Jesus did not dispute.

(d) “You son of God” ... “Son of the Most High God” ... “Son of God most high” Whether you call these angels unclean spirits, impure spirits, devils, or demons, the previous three statements show a profound respect for the Almighty and Everlasting God. Those of you whose understanding of devils and demons originates from stories such as “The Exorcist,” I would be interested to know how this show of respect and obedience might influence your opinion.

(e) “I adjure you by God, that you torment me not.” Do you realize what this scripture is telling us? The spirit is using the word “horkizo” 3726 = as an oath, or something sworn; and it calls on God as an authority to back up that oath. In other words, the spirit is using God as its authority when it tells Jesus, (or is it ordering Jesus) to, “Torment [or torture; or punish] me not!”

The fact is that Jesus was not trying to torment the spirit. In fact, it is fair to say that Jesus also knew the time for judgment of the angels was not yet. However, He was letting them know they would no longer be allowed to inhabit this man from the tombs. By extension, it is my belief that the spirits have since come to realize that while the possession of humans may have been acceptable or at least justifiable in the past; it would no longer be so.

“And Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And [the spirit] answered, saying, ‘my name is Legion: for we are many.’”

Did Jesus really expect the spirit(s) to give him an actual name; or was he simply asking them to somehow identify themselves? A Roman Legion numbered between 3,000 and 6,000 men, so when the spirit answered, “My name is Legion; for we are many,” it was apparently giving Jesus an honest and somewhat factual answer. But again the questions must be asked: Why would so many spirits want to invade the body of the same human host? Why would any spirit ever want to invade the body of any human host? I do have some theories which may answer both questions, but in the meantime I hope you will make some effort to answer these questions for yourselves.

Note: Next week I hope to complete this study with the posting of “My Name is Legion -- Part 3”

My Name Is Legion -- Part 1

Some time before the original creation of the earth (science shows this to have been more than 13 billion years ago) God created angels. From the Scriptures, we can determine that there are many millions, perhaps even billions of angels and at some point in time the Archangel Lucifer was placed in a position of direct authority over one third of them. In a previous message on this blogsite, I discussed my belief that the vast majority of the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion have long since repented of their sin and are waiting -- as we are waiting -- for a day of judgment to arrive. I would recommend that now or later, you go to the Archives of this blogsite and take time to read and consider “The Angels that Sinned.”

We are told in Hebrews 1:14 that the angels are “all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall inherit salvation”; but does this speak only of God’s initial purpose at their creation? Was that purpose somehow misdirected, or frustrated by the rebellion of Lucifer; or may “the angels that sinned” still have an important part to play in the destiny of mankind?

One of the more important questions I hope to answer over the next few weeks will be whether or not some of the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion do now, today, on occasion inhabit the bodies of lower animals. I do with some reservation believe this happens; and when it does this “possession” is not a short term or temporary occurrence but an event which covers the lifetime of the animal. However, I want to impress upon you that I do not see this possession as a malignancy; neither do I believe that the angels in these cases are those referred to in the Bible as “demon spirits.”

Are all of the lower animals possessed? No; I don’t believe so! Are some humans also possessed? I admit to believing this possibility exists: but if some humans are or have been possessed in these most recent times it would have been by “demon spirits.” It is my belief that demon spirits belong to a very small minority of the angels which long ago followed Lucifer in his rebellion.

Let me repeat that last statement and expand upon it. Of the one-third of all of God’s angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion, it is my belief that relatively few should be classed today as demons. Can there be any hope of redemption for the angels: “...who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode; [God] has reserved [them] in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day...” (Jude 6)? This is just one of the many important questions we need to more carefully consider.

The present state of the angels that sinned is a question I believe needs to be given far more thought and consideration than it has so far received. Anyone truly interested in this subject should begin by going to the Archives of this blogsite to locate and read the previously published message “The Angels that Sinned.”

Why God Created Angels

There is so much that mankind has yet to learn; and so very much we could learn from those angels that have been bound to the Earth since their rebellion -- at least, from those who have truly repented of their sin. They must have built up a storehouse of knowledge and experience from before the original creation, through the rebellion, the destruction, and then the re-construction of the world as we now know it; down to this present day and beyond. The very thought of being able to benefit from their service, and from their vast experience, seems wonderful to me.

According to the writings of the Apostle John, the Lord of the Old Testament was the one who gave up his position as God to become the human we know today as Jesus. Did he simply waste his time and energy when he, “...went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:19-20)?

God had made up his mind to destroy life from the face of the Earth by means of a great flood; for more than one hundred years he ignored mankind and went to preach to those angels who had sinned when they followed Lucifer in his rebellion.

Did God actually preach to those angels for 120 years; if so, what was His message?
Was their fate already assured? Do you truly believe He went from one angel to the next telling each and every one they were doomed to the lake of fire -- and this for one hundred and twenty years? Does such a belief truly make any sense to you?

Why were these particular beings created? Why did they rebel? And if they did in fact rebel how can there be any hope for their redemption? If they did receive words of hope in the preaching they heard during the days of Noah and if some of them did in fact heed those words and repent, what have they been doing from that time until now?

At this point I want to draw your attention to a few Bible facts. First, from the book of Hebrews 1:14 when speaking about angels it says: “...are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister [to serve] for them who shall inherit salvation?” Next, from 1st Corinthians 6:2 we are told “the saints shall judge the world”; and if that’s not enough to humble anyone who aspires to sainthood then read on in verse 3 where it tells us: “Know you not that we shall judge angels!”

What angels does the Bible refer to when it says they shall be judged by the saints? God’s angels are without sin; they are in no need of judgment! The demons of Satan are already condemned and are destined for the lake of fire. There must then be a third category of angels and it is them that I see as a potentially fascinating source of help, information, and knowledge in the age and life to come -- does Hebrews 1:14 not assure us they were originally created to serve those who shall one day inherit salvation?

Possession -- Malignant or Benign

There are many New Testament examples of possession by demons and/or unclean spirits; but a careful study will show that not all of these cases were overtly malignant. That is to say, not all instances of possession show an evil intent on the part of the offending spirit. Nevertheless, the words and the actions of Jesus in casting out these spirits clearly show that human possession of any kind would no longer be permitted.

It is apparent that in the time of Jesus, and to a certain extent in the time of the apostles following Jesus, spirit possession of humans was not uncommon. If human possession still takes place today, then I must believe these instances are very isolated and far from common. It seems reasonable that if these statements are true then something must have happened to change the frequency of human possession. The question may then be asked: “Why were there so many instances of possession in Jesus day?” I hope we can answer this question as we go along.

When a simple word from Jesus or the disciples was not enough to force an offending spirit to depart, there were instances where the situation became quite exciting. One example in particular would not have been too out of place in the fictional story of “The Exorcist”; and since it did not involve either Jesus or his followers, why don’t we take a look at that one first.

In Acts 19:11-16 we read: “And God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from [sick people] and evil spirits went out of [those who were possessed].” At this time there were seven men who were sons of a Jewish chief of the priests named Sceva; they considered themselves to be exorcists. These men were apparently not followers of Jesus, Paul, or any other of the apostles. They took it upon themselves to attempt an exorcism of evil spirits from some people who were possessed, invoking the power of God by saying: “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

These gentlemen obviously expected the evil spirit to immediately depart and for the individuals possessed to once again be free; but such was not the case. The evil spirit answered the men by saying: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” At this point the man in whom the evil spirit resided leaped upon the seven men, overpowered them and tore off their clothing so that they ran away naked and injured.

Note: I have paraphrased parts of the preceding so you really should read it for yourself from your own Bible, but I’m sure you will agree that this event must have been quite exciting and in a very real sense somewhat frightening.

In most cases the spirit or spirits left their human host without causing a great deal of fuss; it is this that prompts the next question which must be asked. Why were some of these spirits apparently quite reasonable while others were markedly unreasonable? Let me begin by saying that the New Testament words most commonly used when referring to devils or evil spirits are listed in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance under the reference numbers: 1140 = a demonic being; 1141 = demon-like; 1142 = a demon or supernatural spirit; and most commonly 1139 = to be exercised by a demon or: to be used by or possessed (by).

There are others which the Bible refers to as “unclean spirits” and these are found under the reference numbers 169 and 4151 as follows: 169 = unclean or impure; and 4151 = spirit.

I believe that as there have been degrees of unrighteousness in man, so have there been degrees of unrighteousness in angels. In Ezekiel 28:15 when speaking about Lucifer (now known as Satan or the Devil) God says: “You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created until iniquity was found in you.” Here we have on the one hand Lucifer, an Archangel of God who was created without sin; and on the other hand the extreme opposite in Satan. Likewise, as we shall see later, some of the angels that sinned so very long ago appear to be more disagreeable, more powerful, and even more evil, than many of the others.

From the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ he performed miracles and healed all manner of sickness and disease among the people. Matthew 4:24 also tells us: “...they brought unto [Jesus] …those which were possessed with devils…and he healed them.”

In Matthew 8:16 it says: “And [Jesus] cast out the spirits with his word…” You can find many places where the spirits were obedient to the words of Jesus and left their human host with little or no difficulty, but such was not always the case. In fact, in the first recorded example of an exorcism, found in the book of Mark, Jesus had to repeat his command and the second time his command was said more sharply than the first time:

Mark 1:23-26 “And there was in [the] synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out saying, ‘Let us alone; what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth, are you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ And Jesus rebuked him saying, ‘Hold your peace, and come out of him.’ And when the unclean spirit had torn him and cried with a loud voice, he [or it] came out of him.”

Some time later we read in Mark 1:34 “He [Jesus]…cast out many devils; and suffered them not to speak, because they knew him.”

One of the more fascinating stories of possession concerns a man Jesus encountered in the land of the Gadarenes. The account of this meeting as it is related in Matthew begins by speaking of two men; but by studying all of the scriptures together it appears that of the two individuals encountered by Jesus only one of them actually played a prominent part in the events that took place. You will find this confrontation recorded in Matthew 8:28-32; Mark 5:1-13; and Luke 8:26-33; and it is this confrontation I intend to discuss over the next few weeks. If you take time to study each and every one of these examples by yourself, I believe you will find an abundance of fascinating information.

Jesus and his disciples had crossed the Sea of Galilee and had entered the land of the Gadarenes where they met a man who had been possessed by devils for a long time. This man apparently lived in the tombs; but sometimes the spirits would drive him into the mountains or into the wilderness. He was quite fierce and obviously very strong; for many times he had been bound with fetters and chains, each time managing to free himself by breaking both the fetters and the chains. This man was so troubled that he never wore any clothing; and both day and night, whether in the mountains or in the tombs, he would cry aloud and cut himself with stones.

Question: Do the possessing spirits make their human hosts act in such an erratic and troubled manner? Do they force their hosts to harm themselves; cutting themselves with stones? There is even an example in Matthew 17 where a possessing spirit would cause a young boy to fall into the fire or into a body of water? Could this troubled behaviour arise from the fact that humans object to being possessed and have sufficient intellect to feel angry and offended by that possession?

In any event, this man in the land of the Gadarenes saw Jesus and ran toward him worshipping and pleading and calling Jesus by name. When Jesus asked the spirit, “What is your name” the spirit answered, saying, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” It is important that you hear all of the words attributed to the possessing spirits from each of the accounts as written. In Matthew the initial greeting of the spirits was, “What have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of God? Are you come here to torment us before our time?” In Mark it says “What have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God that you torment me not.”

Note: At this point I came to realize that trying to show each separate account of the incident in this present format would be most confusing. What I chose to do instead was paraphrase each recorded portion of the incident in my own words; however, you should study each account for yourselves, as they were recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, directly from your own Bibles.

For each statement, I have added a clarifying “Comment” giving you some insight into how I personally understand the events of this meeting. Hopefully by examining point-by-point everything that happened, we will be able to isolate and identify far more than we could by trying to glean understanding from the gospels as they are written.

Does that sound overly pretentious to anyone? Does it even smack of sacrilege to suggest that man may improve on inspired scripture? Allow me to draw your attention to some direction on this from the Old Testament book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 28:9-11 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk; [or] those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people...”

I intend to use these instructions to help us learn as much as possible about the possessed man in the land of Gadara; and the devils, demons, or unclean-spirits that possessed him:

Note: Next week, in “My Name is Legion -- Part 2” I hope to immediately immerse each of us in the actual meeting of Jesus with the man in whom there were a “Legion” of possessing-spirits. In preparation, I would strongly suggest that you become as familiar as possible with this event as it has been recorded in Matthew 8:28-32; Mark 5:1-13; and Luke 8:26-33. I am convinced that as you gain a more perfect understanding of what actually took place, you will find it as absolutely fascinating as I do.

When We Die

On this blogsite I have tried to resist sermonizing; those who minister over us have been trained to this service and I am more than happy to leave the preaching of sermons in their capable hands. That having been said: the following essay was prepared several years ago as a guide for the funeral service of a friend. Every so often I review its contents and each time I actually find the selected scriptures quite comforting; I thought perhaps you would find them as comforting as I do.

Note: It had been my intention to read only the words; without quoting the references (Book of the Bible, chapter, and verse.) However, there are times when for the sake of continuity and clarity a reference could, and perhaps should be given; but I leave this choice up to you as you read along

Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”

Job 1:8 “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’”

Job 1:9-11 “So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!’”

What happened next may seem to contain a certain amount of senseless tragedy. If ever a man could expect the complete protection of God it should have been Righteous Job. Instead, God allowed Satan to afflict him in the most horrible ways; his servants were killed and all of his livestock either died or were stolen. All of his children died; and Job himself ended up sitting on an ash heap scraping pus off boils that covered his entire body. And what was the reaction of Job?

Job 1:21-22 “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

Job 14:1-5 Later, Job was speaking to God about his understanding of death when he said: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue.” (Verse: 5) “His days are determined, the number of his months is with you; you have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”

Job 14:10-13 “But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, [will they] not awake nor be roused from their sleep? Oh, that you would hide me in the grave; that you would conceal me until your wrath is past; that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

Then in verse 14 Job asks God a question. He asks: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Then Job immediately answers his own question: “All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer you; you shall desire the work of your hands.”

And in Job 42:17 it says quite simply: “So Job died, being old and full of days.”

Another of the great men of the Bible was the prophet Daniel. The Book of Daniel is just one of the many fascinating and informative books which make up what is commonly referred to as the Old Testament. We need to remember that when Jesus and the apostles made reference to the Scriptures, there was no such thing as the New Testament; only that which we now refer to as the Old!

The tenth chapter of the Book of Daniel is fascinating, but I would draw your attention to the part where an angel of God was referring to Daniel when he said: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved.” But even though Daniel was greatly beloved of God he still had to follow the destiny of mankind and go to his grave. However; notice the way the angel referred to the passing of Daniel in the last verse of the final chapter.

Daniel 12:13 “[The angel said:] ‘But you [Daniel] go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

Almost everyone has heard of David, the shepherd boy who fought and killed Goliath, the giant of Gath. It was this same David whom God chose to be king over the people and nation of Israel.

In the Book of Acts 13:22 we are told: “And when [God] had removed [King Saul], He raised up for [Israel] David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.’”

2 Samuel 7:12 And yet, the prophet Nathan said to David the king, “When your days are fulfilled, you shall sleep with your fathers.” So then David, King of Israel died; yet the Bible refers to his death in this way:

1 Kings 2:10 “So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.”

Acts of the Apostles 2:29-35…These are the words that were spoken by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost shortly after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, when the Spirit of God was manifest with power over the apostles. Peter said: “Men and brethren let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne [i.e. the Messiah would one day sit upon the throne of David]. He [David] seeing this before, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that he would not be left in the grave nor would his flesh see corruption.

(Peter continued...) “This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out [that Spirit with power] which you now see and hear. (Listen to the words of Peter when he says...) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he said himself, ‘The Lord said unto my lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

This may all seem a little complicated, but Peter began this part of his speech by saying: “King David is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre [his grave] is with us to this day.” And Peter ended by saying: “For David is not ascended into the heavens!”

I know you remember Moses; it was Moses who led the people of Israel out of Egypt. He led them to the borders of the Promised Land but Moses was not allowed to enter into this Promised Land. Moses was not allowed to enter even though -- God had promised this land would be given to Moses and to his people forever!

Deuteronomy 31:16 “And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you will sleep with your fathers…”

Job; Daniel; David; Moses; is it possible that all these great men of God are still in their graves?

John 3:13 These are the words of Jesus the Messiah; long after the time of Job, and Daniel, and David, and Moses; Jesus said: “And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is [from] heaven.”

The book of John was written long after the death, resurrection and ascension of the Christ, the Messiah; and yet here it is telling us that only Jesus has ever gone to heaven!

We have read about Job and Daniel; Moses and David; but there were so many other great men and women in the Bible:

Hebrews 11 is known as the “Faith” chapter; a most beautiful chapter of the Bible. Abel; Enoch; Noah; Abraham; Sarah; Rebekah; Ruth; “These all died in faith, not having received the promises…” It goes on to mention Isaac; Jacob; Joseph; Gideon; Barak; Samson; Samuel and many, many others: “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions … And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

This bears repeating: “That they [the Patriarchs] without us should not be made perfect!” Does this sound to you as if they are all in heaven? Or does it sound as if they are all still asleep; waiting for a future day of resurrection and redemption?

1st Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now Christ [is] risen from the dead -- and [has] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (Verse: 23)…“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

Notice: “They that are Christ’s at his coming” refers to those who will live again at the time of the first resurrection: “...they [shall live and reign] with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Revelation 20:5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (Verse: 12)…“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Notice: They shall not be judged by the works of this life, but by their works in the life to come; at a time when they will be allowed to understand that which is written in the books!

The vast majority of those who have lived and died upon the earth have never even heard the name “Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Of those who have heard his name, very few have ever taken the time to learn anything about him or about his message. Of those who have tried to understand, the Bible says: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This does not in any way condemn those who at this time have not been chosen; nor does it elevate in stature those who, for whatever reason, have been chosen. God our Heavenly Father will do everything according to His own will in working out His mysteries here upon the Earth. Those who believe they have for some reason been “set apart” by the Almighty God at this time, should read and carefully heed Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth:

1st Corinthians 1:26-29 “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised God has chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.”

The man we know as Jesus came to proclaim the “gospel,” the “good news” of a coming world kingdom that shall be governed according to the laws of God; and to become a living sacrifice so that man may one day live again. He took to himself a few disciples for a special purpose -- but he did not even try to teach the people! Even his own disciples learned very little until after Jesus died and had risen from the dead.

Mark 4:11-12 “And [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without [to most of the people] all these things are done in parables [or puzzles]: that seeing they may see and not perceive: and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

Luke 24:44-45 Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, he met with his disciples and said to them: “These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures!”

Would God condemn those who in this life He Himself has not allowed to understand?

2nd Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel [our good news] is hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost [in this life]: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.”

And who is the god of this world? Revelation 12:9 “And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world.”

We have almost reached the point in man’s history which is referred to in the book of Revelation 20:1-3 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him [for] a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be fulfilled…”

Revelation 20:12-13 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books [of the Bible] were opened [to their understanding]: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

NOTE: At this point I was uncertain as to how to go about finishing this work. You need to remember it was being prepared for a funeral service which never took place. Since I would have been speaking to people with only a bare understanding of the Scriptures I was reluctant to mention any of God’s Holy Days; but without some understanding of those days there can be no real understanding of the wonderful plan of God. How can anyone discuss the resurrection of “the rest of the dead,” without even mentioning the Last Great Day? Here, now, today, I must!

There is some indication that the period of time in which these people will be judged will last for one hundred years and will take place following the Millennium. “And the sea gave up the dead [who] were in it; and death and the grave delivered up the dead [who] were in them: and they were judged everyone according to their works.”

The Bible lists a series of special high holy days which those who honour God observe every year. These days allow us to understand a sequence of events in the spiritual progression of mankind. The last few of these special High Holy Days are observed each year in the autumn; they are the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration of the prophesied thousand-year reign of Christ as King of kings over the Earth. Immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles, (actually referred to in the Bible as the eighth day of the feast), is the Last Great Day.

John 7:2 & 37 “Now the [Judean] feast of tabernacles was at hand”; [as opposed to the feast which was held at the same time in Samaria.] (37) “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink…’”

At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles the Last Great Day begins -- and at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus over the Kingdom of God the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Last Great Day will begin. At this future time the vast majority of the people who have already lived and died upon the Earth will be given their first opportunity to understand the mysteries of God. This is not a second chance for these people -- for the very first time the books of the Bible will be opened to their understanding. Teachers will be available to help anyone who cannot fully and completely understand. It will then be up to each of them, as individuals, to choose for themselves whether they will or will not live their lives in obedience to the laws of God.

For the preceding one-thousand years (the time known as the Millennium) the Earth will have been renewed by those who had laboured according to the precepts of God. Working together under His laws they will have been able to carry out the restoration of the Earth; bringing it back from the desolation that will take place at the end of this age, to the paradise it shall be by the end of the thousand years. At this time: “…the rest of the dead, both small and great, [shall] stand before God.” When these people open their eyes, their first conscious thought since they “fell asleep” will be to appreciate the beauty which is one of the material benefits that come from obedience to the laws of God.

When we fall asleep, it doesn’t matter whether we sleep for one hour or more than a thousand years; our next conscious thought will take place in the blink of an eye. The patriarch Job summed this up perfectly when he said: “All the days of my appointed time I will wait, until my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer you: you will have a desire to the work of your hands.”

Note: Those who have read “The Angels that Sinned,” previously published to this blog-site, are aware of my belief that most of the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion have long since repented of their sin and are waiting, as we are waiting, for a day of redemption to arrive. Many years ago I asked myself: “What have these angels been doing since the time of their rebellion until now?” Over the next few weeks I shall attempt to answer a portion of that question as I discuss the “unclean-spirits” which possessed the man in the land of the Gadarenes who told Jesus “My Name is Legion.”