In This Issue

• THEY JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE IT
• DEMON POSSESSION
• CHRIST’S SECOND COMING -WITH THE SAINTS OR FOR THE SAINTS?
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THEY JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE IT

Mark says of Jesus' disciples, "Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him. 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.'" (Mark 10:32-34).

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to bring His earthly ministry to its intended conclusion. The animosity in the hearts of the chief priests and elders toward Him was no secret. The last time He was in Jerusalem previous to this trip, His enemies had tried on two occasions to stone Him. After He had proclaimed His deity by telling the Pharisees, "'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.' Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:58-59). On that same visit to Jerusalem, again He proclaimed His deity by saying, "'I and My Father are one.' Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him." (John 10:30-31). Then John tells us in verse 39, "They sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand." No wonder His disciples were both amazed and afraid as He continued to journey to Jerusalem in spite of the danger that awaited Him there.

But even though the apostles sensed the enmity of the scribes, the Pharisees and the priests toward Jesus, and knew they would destroy Him if they could, strangely enough they could not bring themselves to believe that Jesus would actually be arrested, condemned, and executed.

Now, here in Mark, chapter 10, for at least the third time, the Lord tries to make His apostles aware of what awaits Him in Jerusalem - and that it is a part of God's eternal plan. He had already told them these same truths in Mark 8:31 and in Mark 9:31. And yet, with all their forewarnings and foreboding, both the crucifixion and the resurrection took them completely by surprise. In his parallel passage to our text, Luke tells us, "They understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said." (Luke 18:34).

--Clarence R. Johnson

DEMON POSSESSION

[The writer of the following article is a young man I had the privilege of baptizing into Christ in 1983 while I was working with the church in La Porte, Texas. He has been preaching the gospel for several years now.]

There are many false concepts about demons and demon possession today. Catholicism, Pentecostal groups as well as many Hollywood movies have helped promote false ideas about this subject. Let us examine what the Bible does and does not say.

First, Pentecostal groups are sometimes heard emphasizing that sickness seems to come primarily (or even solely) from demons. Such groups will point to passages in the Bible where demon possession did produce a physical ailment, and thus conclude that most (or all) ailments are caused in this manner. But this is simply not true. While some cases of blindness, deafness, seizures or insanity were attributed to demons (see Mark 5:5; Matt. 12:22); NOT all cases were.

I have heard Pentecostal preachers teach that any time you are sick, it's that old devil causing it. They refer, for example, to Luke 13:16 as proof. Could it be in some cases that Satan is trying to turn us against God? Sure. Just read of Job's troubled life. But is this true in every case? No. Jesus indicated that at least on one occasion a man was born blind so that the works of God could be shown in him (John 9:3). In other words, Jesus used it as an opportunity to reveal who He is.

Also, we read in the Old Testament that God warned Israel of consequences if they disobeyed. God told them that if they sinned, He would place upon them the diseases, sicknesses & plagues of the Egyptians (Deut. 28:60-61). While it may be difficult to understand how God could do this, we must remember that God is perfectly within His rights as our Creator to punish men for disobedience to Him. Consider also Romans 1:27, where it says that homosexuals received "in themselves that recompense of their error which was due." Certainly we can see that those who are sexually immoral have a dramatically high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. And what about Hell? Who made Hell? God did. Why did He make it? For those who persist in sin. We may not fully comprehend it, but our loving God is also a holy and just God who punishes evil.

What about the idea that demon possession is the cause of sin? Some gather this from Luke 22:3, where Satan is said to have entered into Judas. Yet, does it mean Satan took over Judas' body? No. Judas still had control. It was by means of covetousness that Satan entered into Judas. Judas' desire for money caused him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:5). The Bible says that Judas "consented" and willingly "sought opportunity" to betray the Lord for money (22:6). Satan entered Judas by tempting him, and Judas "let Satan in" by yielding his will to the temptation.

Temptation is different from demon possession. Temptation seduces people to do sinful things of their own free will. Actual demon possession, though, did not make someone sinful. We see this from the fact that in some cases of possession, children where taken over by unclean spirits (Matt. 17:18; Luke 9:42; Mark 7:25). Also, Jesus treated demon possession as a sickness, not sinfulness. Those who were possessed were healed, not condemned as being sinful themselves (Luke 8:2).

Also, some people think that demons could kill people. In fact, Mel Gibson's movie suggests this with the death of Judas Iscariot. The movie portrays demons tormenting Judas all the way to the place where he hung himself. Yet, this is not Biblical. In the Bible, there is not one case where demon possession resulted in the death of a person who was or was not possessed. Yes, demons evidently tried to kill people (Mk. 9:22); but we never read of one case where this was ever accomplished. We do read where they killed a whole herd of swine (Matt. 8:32); but never a single person.

Then there are those who believe that demon possession happens to day. I can honestly (and Biblically) say "no." The Bible indicates that the purpose of demon possession was to allow Jesus to demonstrate His power over Satan and his minions (Matt. 12:29). It was a physical manifestation of what Jesus was doing spiritually. Thus, the stated purpose of demon possession was fulfilled in the time of Christ.

After Christ, there were some cases of demons being cast out by the apostles in the book of Acts. But the number of cases was much less than the number Jesus dealt with. And, the Bible tells us that the age of miraculous works was soon to come to a close, when the work of the Holy Spirit was "perfect" (1 Cor. 13:8-13). In other words, when the Holy Spirit finished revealing the gospel, the New Testament - then miracles would cease. Thus, if there is even one case of possession today - how would we solve it? Rather, the Bible reveals that the purpose of demon possession was fulfilled & the time of miracles has ceased. What people may attribute to demon possession today, must be something else. It may be mental illness, or hoaxes - but it cannot be true demon possession.

By the way, when I was a teenager I went to a séance. A girl was "possessed" by a spirit and spoke in a funny voice. This was all "spooky" and "believable" until the girl's mother walked into the room. Suddenly this "possessed" girl acted normal, at least until her mother left. Others who pretend to be possessed today may do a better job of "staying in character" - but she obviously needed more practice. 

--Douglas W. Hill, Bible Talk, Livingston, TN, March 14, 2004

CHRIST’S SECOND COMING -WITH THE SAINTS OR FOR THE SAINTS?

The Greek word parousia is defined as "a being near, i.e. advent..." (Strong’s). In the King James version of the Bible, parousia is translated as coming or presence. Another Greek word, epiphaneia, means "a manifestation, i.e. (specially) the advent of Christ (past or future):" (Strong's). Epiphaneia is translated as appearing or brightness in the Bible in the King James version. 

Some premillennialist, people who believe that Christ will come a second time before establishing a literal thousand years reign on earth, make a distinction in the coming of Christ referred to by these words. They believe Christ will come (parousia) for His saints for a rapture, and then, after a seven year period of tribulation He will come (epiphaneia) with His saints. 

The Bible does not teach that Jesus will come for His saints at the parousia and again with His saints at the epiphaneia. In 1Thessalonians 3:13, Paul spoke of "the coming (parousia) of our Lord," but he did not say Christ was coming (parousia) for His saints, but that He was coming (parousia) with His saints!"— the exact opposite from what premillennialist teach. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul uses both words to describe one coming of the Lord— "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness (epiphaneia) of his coming (parousia)." The parousia and epiphaneia refer to the same event or coming.

Like the whole theory of premillennialism, the distinction made between parousia and epiphaneia is imagined. The Bible does not teach that Jesus’ parousia will be for the saints and that the epiphaneia will be at a different time with His saints. Jesus will come only once more. At that time, He will bring with Him the souls of those who are dead in Christ, and He will change and receive those who are alive at His coming. Both will be with the Lord, forever, in the air, not with Him for a thousand years on earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

--Harold Hancock, Timberland Drive bulletin, Lufkin, TX, Dec. 21, 1997

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