Tag: unclean spirits

32.r. “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God”

 

Matthew 12:22  Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

 Mark 3:11    And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

 Acts 26:18   to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 Matthew 9:34     But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

 Mark 3:22   And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

 Luke 11:15    But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,”

 The crowds reacted with Messianic expectation, but the religious leaders responded by attributing Jesus’ power to the prince of demons. Both have seen the same thing, the demon cast out and the person healed. How can it be seen so differently by those who witnessed it? Even at times, the unclean spirits cried out, “you are the Son of God”.  

We will normally see what our hearts and minds want to see. When we see everything in creation both on earth and in the universe we are in awe of God. Yet others, spend lifetimes building theories about how a big bang happened billions of years ago that somehow formed all things through time, chance, and evolution. Both of these beliefs must be taken on faith. When seeing Jesus heal this demon-possessed man many displayed their faith by saying can this be the one promised “The Son of David?”  In their faith, they were aware and looking for the Messiah to come. Others displayed their blindness and hardness of heart by shrugging off this healing by saying it was not in the power of God but by Satan. When we were lost and without hope and there was no searching and no desire for things of God, it is only by the grace of God we see and understand things of God. And yet, there are those to whom these revelations are rejected. To the lost soul, it is a time when clarity to the things of God is revealed much like the clouds being rolled back and the bright sun is seen. When we are searching and desiring to serve and honor and glorify Jesus more and more, things of God are shown more and more, the Son keeps getting brighter.

7.z. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs

Revelation 16:12  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

It is hard to see how the 1700 mile long river Euphrates could dry up.  But in the scope of what we are reading this is the easiest to understand.  The trilogy of the dragon, beast, and false prophet spew out three unclean spirits that perform signs and can convince the whole world to do battle against Israel.  We are given another glimpse of something in the future that is hard to wrap our minds around.  With all the division and isolation between countries how in the world can they be convinced to all join together for a war against the Israelites who have listened to God’s witnesses, repented, and have come to saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Zechariah 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”  Israel will realize what has happened and will mourn for Jesus Christ because of the way the nation treated Him when He first came to earth.  They now know Him as Savior, Redeemer, and Coming King.”

Those who follow the demonic spirit’s lies will come against Israel with a single focus and purpose.  They want to rid the earth of anything and anyone who God has called.  Anyone who has come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Anyone who has not taken the mark of the beast. Anyone who has not worshipped the beast.  The whole world will come against the Almighty God with the thought that with their numbers they can surely put an end to Him and those who follow Him.

Once again this prophecy is given with a message of hope too.  Blessed is the one who stays awake!  The ones who are looking for and believing in the pending return of Jesus Christ.  This same message of hope right now is during a time of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ.  The difference between now (grace, mercy, and love) and the time of Tribulation (wrath, anger, and judgment of God) are not very great.  People reject living for Jesus now as they do then.  People reject repenting of their sin now as they to then.  People reject the surrender of their whole heart, mind, and soul to Jesus Christ now as they do then.  There is no real difference in the intentional choice people are making now and as they do then.  Denying Jesus Christ with unrepentant hearts whether now or then has the same eternal consequences – eternal damnation.