Lesson 07

The Doctrine of Angels Lesson #7 Professor Ken L.Sarles

EXISTENCE, ORIGIN, NATURE OF DEMONS

1A. The Existence of Demons

1B. Proved by the Old Testament

1C. Introduction – Demons are real, existent evil beings.

2C. Names of Demons in the Old Testament

1D. Shedhim "lords" (Deut. 32:17, Ps. 106:37)

LXX: daimon

The Israelites considered idols to be demons who allowed men

to worship them. The images were visible symbols of the

invisible demons

2D. Seirim "he‑goats" (Lev. 17:7)

3D. Elilim "idols" (Ps. 96:5) "nothingness" "emptiness" The idols are nothing, even the demons behind them are nothing compared to God

2B. Proved by the New Testament

1C. Introduction

All the writers of the N. T., except the author of Hebrews make

mention of demons or evil angels

2C. Names of Demons in the New Testament

1D. Daimon "demon" (Matt. 8:31)

1E. Derivation:

1F. Plato: dao, "knowing" "intelligent"

2F. Medieval Scholastics: dai, "divide" disrupt"

2E. Usage:

1F. Homeric Greek: equated term with theos

2F. Post. Homeric Greek: intermediary between men, gods

3F. N. T. Greek: always means evil agent

2D. Daimonion "gods" (Jn. 8:48‑49)

63 occurrences, most frequent term in the N. T., the

diminuitive for daimon (little gods)

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3D. Pneumata "spirits" (Lk. 10:17‑20)

1E. Demons are called spirits 43 times in the N. T.

2E.Rev. 16:14

4D. Angelos "angel" (Matt. 25:41) key passage This supports the identification of demons as fallen angels unless there are two classes of evil spirits – “…The devil and his angels.”

3C. New Testament Terms Related to Demons

1D. Daimonizomai "to be possessed by a demon" (Lk. 8:36) used 13 times in the N. T., in both verbal and participial forms

2D. Daimoniodes demonic" (Jam. 3:15) – Character of worldly wisdom

3D. Deisidaimonia "demon fearers" (Acts 25:19)

1E. Derived from deido, "to fear, reverence"

2E. Translated "superstitious" "religious" – to worship

superstitiously

3B. Proved by Christ

1C. In His Attitude

1D. Matt. 17:14‑20, He spoke of the reality and power of demons

2D. Matt. 25:41, He held Satan and demons morally responsible

3D. Argument from silence: He never corrected belief in demons

2C. In His Actions

1D. Matt. 12:22, 15:22, cast out demons

2D. Matt. 10:1, Lk. 10:17‑18, gave His disciples the authority to cast out demons

2A. The Origin of Demons

1B. Speculative Theories of Demonic Origins

1C. The Unwarranted Naturalist View

1D. Objections to the Reality of demons

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1E.

2E. The phenomena of demon possession known illness and psychological disorders

3E. Demon possession no longer occurs

2D. Answers to the Objections

1E. Definitions are given which essentially define the problem out of existence

2E. There are other phenomena which are not physical or psychological disorders

3E. They are really begging the question

2C. The Unwarranted Supernaturalist View – Not found anywhere in Scripture

1D. Stated: Demons are spirits of the departed who have returned to this world

2D. Evaluated: Not found in Scripture. The dead are permanently separated from the living in a state of conscious bliss or torment

2B. Scriptural Theories of Demonic Origins

1C. The Improper Theory

1D. Explanation

1E. The Theory Stated:

Satan ruled over a race of pre‑Adamic men on the earth.

Between Gen. 1:1 & 1:2 Satan fell, and so did the pre‑

Adamic. When God recreated the earth, the spirits of the

pre‑Adamic, became demons. (The Gap Theory)

2E. The Theory Supported

1F. Gen. 1:2

2F. Acts 23:8‑9

3F. Since demons are disembodied spirits, this

Explains why they desperately seek to inhabit a

body

2D. Evaluation

1E. Gap theory is somewhat conjectural

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2E. Heb. 9:27 – “It is appointed a man once to die, then judgment.”

There is no supporting evidence from Scripture for a

pre‑Adamic race

3E. Heb. 1:14

Angels are described as spirits. In Acts 12:15,

"angel" may refer to Peter's spirit. Therefore, the

distinction between angel and spirit is forced and

unnecessary.

2C. The Proper Theory

1D. The Theory Defined

Rev. 12:4, Matt. 25:41. When Satan fell, he drew away a great

number of lesser angels with him, who are now demons.

2D. The‑Theory Defended

1E. Similarity of Relation with Satan

1F. Matt. 12:24‑26, archonti, 1st of the demons 2F. Lk. 8:31, Rev. 9

2E.Similarity of Essence with angels Heb. 1:14, Lk. 8:20

3E. Similarity of Activity with Satan

1F. Lk. 22:3, Satan; Lk. 11:14, demons, both enter men

2F. Rev. 9:1‑11, 12:7‑17, Satan and evil angels both

war against God

4E. Sufficiency of the Similarities: Occam's Razor: "What can be explained with fewer assumptions is foolishly explained with more." "Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity."

3B. Postscript: A Consideration of Genesis 6:1‑4

1C. The "Fallen Angel" View

1D. The View Stated: the "sons of God" (benne Elohim) in Gen. 6

were fallen angels who cohabited with the daughters of men and

produced a race of giants, the nephilim, "fallen ones"

2D. The View Supported

1E. Terminology: the same term is used in Job 1 for the sons of God, which refers to angels

2E. Context

1F. This would explain the existence of a race of

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giants which would not come through normal

human generation

2F. It would explain the severity of God's judgment in bringing the Flood.

3E. Related Passages

1F. II Pet. 2:4‑5

2F. Jude 6‑7 Angels did not keep their proper abode. A special class of angels.

D. The View Evaluated

1E. "Sons of God" refers to men as well as angels,

BUT:

2E. The race of giants could be explained by the anti‑diluvian vapor canopy. "Fallen ones" could refer to the spiritually fallen

3E. Disappearance of a godly line could also account for the Flood

4E. Strongest arguments are use of bene Elohim and related passages

2C. The "Sethite" View

1D. The View Stated: "sons of God" refers to Sethites who

intermarried with Cainite daughters, thus polluting the

godly line from which would come a Redeemer.

2D. The View Supported.

1E. Terminology

No reference to demons "My Spirit will not always

Strive with man." Sons of God = Righteous man

2E. Context: toh‑l'dohth

1F. Gen. 4:16‑24, geneology of Cain

2F. Gen. 5:1‑32 geneology of Seth

3E. Related Passages

Matt. 22:30 and Gen. 6

angels neither marry nor are given in marriage but

in Gen. 6 it says that the bene Elohim took wives

for themselves

3D. The View Evaluated

1E. Why the daughters of men rather than the daughters of Cain. And why doesn't the text mention the sons of Cain and daughters of Seth?

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2E. The related passage is the weakest argument because it mentions angels but not demons. There is such a thing as demon possession

3E. Context of Genesis is the strongest argument

3A. The Nature of Demons

1B. Their Personality

1C. Evidence of Personality

1D. Pronouns (Lk. 8:27‑30)

2D. Name (Lk. 8:30)

2C. Elements of Personality

1D. Cognition, Lk. 4, demons knew who Christ was, spoke to Him

2D. Emotion, Lk. 8:28, Jam. 2:19, demons fear and tremble over judgment

3D. Volition , Lk. 8:32, demons exercise their will in imploring

Christ not to cast them into the abyss

2B. Their Properties

1C. Positively Considered: They Are Spirit Beings

1D. Immortal

2D. Immaterial

3D. Invisible

1E. Possibility of Appearance

2E. Form of Appearance - Rev. 9 Demon locusts

2C. Negatively Considered: They Are Perverted Beings

1D. By Definition

1E. Matt. 10:1, unclean spirits

2E. Lk. 7:21, evil spirits

3E. Eph. 6:12, spiritual forces of wickedness

4E. Matt. 12:45, some were more wicked than others

2D. In Their Doctrine, I Tim. 4:1 – Deceitful spirits

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3D. In Their Duties

1E. II Cor. 11:13‑15, like Satan they also disguise

themselves as angels of light and promote false

religion

2E. Matt. 12:43‑45

They control men in order to destroy them

3B. Their Powers

1C. Supernatural Intelligence

1D. Its Source: their superior nature and higher order of being

2D. Its Substance

1E..‑ Mk. 1:14, they know Christ's identity

2E. Lk. 8:31, they know their place of confinement

3E. I Jn. 4:1, they deceive men

4E. I Tim. 4:1, they know how to corrupt sound doctrine

5E. POINT: Demons know correct doctrine better than we do. They’ve seen God work.

3D. Its Subjugation

2C. Supernatural Strength

1D. In Possessing Persons (Mk. 5:3, Acts 19:16)

2D. In Punishing People (Rev. 9)

3D. In Performing Miracles (II Thess. 2:9)

4B. Their Place (Abode)

1C. In the Heavenlies (Eph. 6:12)

2C. In the Second Heaven (Rev. 12:4)

3C. On Earth

1D. Bound (Rev. 9:14)

The four great angels bound at the Euphrates river will be unleashed to destroy 1/3 of mankind

2D. Unbound (Rev. 9:15‑18)

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Demons operating now are unbound, others in the abyss will

be unbound during the Tribulation

4C. In the Abyss (Rev. 9:1‑11)

5C. In Tartarus (II Pet. 2:4) Pits of Darkness. Probably those judged at

The Flood and will only be let out for the Great White Throne

Judgment.