HisWitness
New Member
since im made a post on what i believe the word Satan means--lets now discuss the word Demons.
what does the word Demons actually mean ??since i dont believe in angels falling from heaven,lets look at a scripture that i believe tells exactly what the word demons is referring to.
Deuteronomy 28-15 starts listing the cursings the people would receive for not keeping God's commandments--all sorts of physical and mental illness and sickness--look at them closely and you can relate all of them to the new testament when Jesus was healing and casting out (Demons).
here is a short info on the subject:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DEMONS
It is commonly understood that mandates of King James heavily influenced the translation that we know as the King James Version. What is not commonly known is that he was obsessed with demonology, had written a book on the subject, and was considered to be the leading authority on the subject. Therefore, we must consider the possibility that what is commonly understood of demons is not so much scriptural, as the product of tradition. This becomes even more likely when consulting various Greek lexicons, concerning the Greek term "diamonia." One will find that the definitions are steeped in "satanism," which we have shown to be false.
"According to passages in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), Satan has a personal army of demons to assist him in attacking humans and accomplishing evil tasks. They roam the world looking for people that they may destroy. The Gospels and the book of Acts describe many exorcisms where Jesus and his disciples release people from demonic possession. The Bible implies that demons are the same fallen angels that once joined Satan in a heavenly revolt. By the 1st century CE in Palestine, many mental disorders were believed to be caused by indwelling demons. Other demons were responsible for bad weather, accidents, etc."
The above quote is the first paragraph of an article entitled "Demons" at "religioustolerance.org." It is quoted here, as it reflects the common understanding of demons. As is the common practice, the stated facts are loosely associated with the scriptures, with no scriptural evidence being offered. Where is it stated that "Satan" is a fallen angel, who was joined by a supporting cast of rebellious angels? Where is it stated that "Satan" has a personal army of demons to assist him in his work of attacking humans and accomplishing evil?
The Greek term "daimonia" is a synonym of "diabolos." Synonyms are words that have similar or identical meanings. The Hebrew translators of the Septuagint used "diamonia" in place of the Hebrew "shed" (sed). This Hebrew term "shed" referred to the recipient of any offering, other than the God of Israel. Hence, it referred to gods of wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 32:17
17 "They sacrificed to demons (shed) who were not God,
To gods whom they have not known,
New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not dread.
Psalms 106:37
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons (shed),
Prior to the Babylonian captivity, the children of Israel had no understanding of the entities we know as "Satan," "the Devil," or "demons." These concepts came to them with their close association of the religion of the pagan Babylonian culture, in which they were held captive.
Demons
In general we may say the OT knows no demons with whom one may have dealings in magic even for the purpose of warding them off. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Copyright © 1972-1989 By Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Understanding the scriptural use of the term "diamonia" can only be accomplished by stepping into the shoes of those, to whom the scriptures were originally addressed. When we do this, we find that "demons" were introduced into the "Jewish" culture during their captivity in Babylon, and was later refined by their exposure to the Greek philosophers.
"A basic animism underlies the Greek dai/mwn concept. This persisted amongst the Greeks. In the historical period especially it was obviously combatted by educated and especially philosophical circles from which we draw almost all our knowledge of all levels of Gk. thought. Y
Again, especially in the tragic dramatists, it denotes d. "anything which overtakes man," such as destiny, or death, or any good or evil fortune,...chance. It can also be used generally for "fate,"
3. The Influence of Popular Religion on the Philosophical Systems.
In the above presentation dai/mwn is philosophically understood as a general divine power and thus incorporated into the stream of Greek thinking. Yet philosophy could not stop at this. It was unable to carry through with full consistency its understanding of the world as a ko/smo$ of abstract forces. It also introduced dai/mone$ as personal intermediary beings. This was helpful in the attack on myths and in their explanation. Oriental influences were also at work, as was the need for a theodicy. But the formulation of the doctrine of dai/mone$ as controlling and disposing forces was mainly determined by the popular belief which we can here see at work and which can be largely reconstructed from the philosophical conceptions.21 Thus Plutarch refers to the )Ala/store$ as an example of evil demons (Def. Orac., 14. II, 417d).
A first instance of the influence of popular belief is to be seen in the fact that philosophy, too, sets heroes alongside demons. In popular belief it is hard to separate the two. Perhaps they are one and the same, as some philosophers assume. More specifically, however, the development led to a separate class of h%rwe$. The idea of intermediary beings was more systematically worked out in the course of time, and in the Neo-Platonists we thus find several classes of intermediaries. In philosophy the main task of these beings is to be messengers between the gods and men, i.e., to exercise supervision over men.....This leads Porphyrius to the view that everything in nature is controlled by demons.24
In the more detailed development of the doctrine that demons are intermediary beings, regard is had to popular belief at three specific points. First, it is noteworthy that demons are brought into special connexion with those parts of the cultus and religion which are closest to animism, i.e., with magic and incantations. We can see this even before Plato in Empedocles,25 and Xenocrates in particular traces back the apotropaic cult to evil demons,26 while Stoicism attributes Manticism to demons...In Xenocrates there emerges already a distinction between the higher forms of religion and the lower and more popular forms with which demons or evil demons are connected. In the developed form of
Demons
this conception demons are forces which seek to divert from true worship, as in Porphyr....At an earlier stage already Apuleius De Deo Socr., 14 had traced back the cults of individual peoples to demons,28 also ascribing unworthy myths to them (cf. Plutarch).
Secondly, it is to be noted that the demons as rulers of human destiny are specifically connected with misfortune and distress. This hurtful sway of demons is made to serve a positive goal in Corp.
Thirdly, many philosophical systems have assimilated the doctrine of demon possessing men. Extraordinary conditions are popularly ascribed to indwelling deities, especially in
the tragic dramatists and e.g. Hippocrates.30 This was called daimona=n or daimoni/zesqai, a view which is developed in Porphyrius Abst., II, 36 ff.31 to the effect that evil demons clothe themselves with flesh and blood in the human body to kindle evil desires. But Plutarch already speaks plainly of demons which undermine virtue in Dio, 2, 3 (I, 958e).
Philosophy incorporated these intermediaries into its system and world view by ascribing pa/qh to demons35 and by giving at least to evil demons a location close to the earth. The doctrine that demons are e)mpaqei=$ is old, going back at least as far as Empedocles.36 According to Plato37 it was worked out by Xenocrates,38 and was shared by Chrysippus as well as Posidonius, and by Plutarch as well as Apuleius and the Neo-Platonists.39 Similarly, we already find the idea of their location in the air in the Epinomis.40 This is greatly expanded in connexion with the pa/qh doctrine,41 and is then incorporated by the Neo-Platonists into a great system of intermediaries which become the more imperfect and wicked the closer they approximate to earth.42 Thus the demons become spatial, and their place in the great ladder from God to man and spirit to matter is that of beings which are superior to man but still imperfect. Their imperfection does not affect their relative divinity. Their wickedness is not simply that of an implacably and causelessly evil will; it is due to their link with matter, and may thus be regarded as an impulsion by cravings which are only too familiar to man, whether in the form of envy, or a self-seeking desire for honour, or the thirst for blood and the odour of sacrifice.43 Although this view of the pa/qh and location of demons corresponds to the impulse of Greek thinking, it is simply a reflection of the popular view of spirits. In animistic belief spirits are radically incalculable, and their operations are conceived after the analogy of men and their passions; they are easily provoked to wrath and envy."
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Copyright © 1972-1989 By Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
The children of Israel rightly associated the physical and mental handicaps among them with sin, as were the result of the curses that God, through Moses, had stated would come upon them if they rebelled against Him and pursued other gods.
Demons
what does the word Demons actually mean ??since i dont believe in angels falling from heaven,lets look at a scripture that i believe tells exactly what the word demons is referring to.
Deuteronomy 28-15 starts listing the cursings the people would receive for not keeping God's commandments--all sorts of physical and mental illness and sickness--look at them closely and you can relate all of them to the new testament when Jesus was healing and casting out (Demons).
here is a short info on the subject:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DEMONS
It is commonly understood that mandates of King James heavily influenced the translation that we know as the King James Version. What is not commonly known is that he was obsessed with demonology, had written a book on the subject, and was considered to be the leading authority on the subject. Therefore, we must consider the possibility that what is commonly understood of demons is not so much scriptural, as the product of tradition. This becomes even more likely when consulting various Greek lexicons, concerning the Greek term "diamonia." One will find that the definitions are steeped in "satanism," which we have shown to be false.
"According to passages in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament), Satan has a personal army of demons to assist him in attacking humans and accomplishing evil tasks. They roam the world looking for people that they may destroy. The Gospels and the book of Acts describe many exorcisms where Jesus and his disciples release people from demonic possession. The Bible implies that demons are the same fallen angels that once joined Satan in a heavenly revolt. By the 1st century CE in Palestine, many mental disorders were believed to be caused by indwelling demons. Other demons were responsible for bad weather, accidents, etc."
The above quote is the first paragraph of an article entitled "Demons" at "religioustolerance.org." It is quoted here, as it reflects the common understanding of demons. As is the common practice, the stated facts are loosely associated with the scriptures, with no scriptural evidence being offered. Where is it stated that "Satan" is a fallen angel, who was joined by a supporting cast of rebellious angels? Where is it stated that "Satan" has a personal army of demons to assist him in his work of attacking humans and accomplishing evil?
The Greek term "daimonia" is a synonym of "diabolos." Synonyms are words that have similar or identical meanings. The Hebrew translators of the Septuagint used "diamonia" in place of the Hebrew "shed" (sed). This Hebrew term "shed" referred to the recipient of any offering, other than the God of Israel. Hence, it referred to gods of wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 32:17
17 "They sacrificed to demons (shed) who were not God,
To gods whom they have not known,
New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not dread.
Psalms 106:37
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons (shed),
Prior to the Babylonian captivity, the children of Israel had no understanding of the entities we know as "Satan," "the Devil," or "demons." These concepts came to them with their close association of the religion of the pagan Babylonian culture, in which they were held captive.
Demons
In general we may say the OT knows no demons with whom one may have dealings in magic even for the purpose of warding them off. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Copyright © 1972-1989 By Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Understanding the scriptural use of the term "diamonia" can only be accomplished by stepping into the shoes of those, to whom the scriptures were originally addressed. When we do this, we find that "demons" were introduced into the "Jewish" culture during their captivity in Babylon, and was later refined by their exposure to the Greek philosophers.
"A basic animism underlies the Greek dai/mwn concept. This persisted amongst the Greeks. In the historical period especially it was obviously combatted by educated and especially philosophical circles from which we draw almost all our knowledge of all levels of Gk. thought. Y
Again, especially in the tragic dramatists, it denotes d. "anything which overtakes man," such as destiny, or death, or any good or evil fortune,...chance. It can also be used generally for "fate,"
3. The Influence of Popular Religion on the Philosophical Systems.
In the above presentation dai/mwn is philosophically understood as a general divine power and thus incorporated into the stream of Greek thinking. Yet philosophy could not stop at this. It was unable to carry through with full consistency its understanding of the world as a ko/smo$ of abstract forces. It also introduced dai/mone$ as personal intermediary beings. This was helpful in the attack on myths and in their explanation. Oriental influences were also at work, as was the need for a theodicy. But the formulation of the doctrine of dai/mone$ as controlling and disposing forces was mainly determined by the popular belief which we can here see at work and which can be largely reconstructed from the philosophical conceptions.21 Thus Plutarch refers to the )Ala/store$ as an example of evil demons (Def. Orac., 14. II, 417d).
A first instance of the influence of popular belief is to be seen in the fact that philosophy, too, sets heroes alongside demons. In popular belief it is hard to separate the two. Perhaps they are one and the same, as some philosophers assume. More specifically, however, the development led to a separate class of h%rwe$. The idea of intermediary beings was more systematically worked out in the course of time, and in the Neo-Platonists we thus find several classes of intermediaries. In philosophy the main task of these beings is to be messengers between the gods and men, i.e., to exercise supervision over men.....This leads Porphyrius to the view that everything in nature is controlled by demons.24
In the more detailed development of the doctrine that demons are intermediary beings, regard is had to popular belief at three specific points. First, it is noteworthy that demons are brought into special connexion with those parts of the cultus and religion which are closest to animism, i.e., with magic and incantations. We can see this even before Plato in Empedocles,25 and Xenocrates in particular traces back the apotropaic cult to evil demons,26 while Stoicism attributes Manticism to demons...In Xenocrates there emerges already a distinction between the higher forms of religion and the lower and more popular forms with which demons or evil demons are connected. In the developed form of
Demons
this conception demons are forces which seek to divert from true worship, as in Porphyr....At an earlier stage already Apuleius De Deo Socr., 14 had traced back the cults of individual peoples to demons,28 also ascribing unworthy myths to them (cf. Plutarch).
Secondly, it is to be noted that the demons as rulers of human destiny are specifically connected with misfortune and distress. This hurtful sway of demons is made to serve a positive goal in Corp.
Thirdly, many philosophical systems have assimilated the doctrine of demon possessing men. Extraordinary conditions are popularly ascribed to indwelling deities, especially in
the tragic dramatists and e.g. Hippocrates.30 This was called daimona=n or daimoni/zesqai, a view which is developed in Porphyrius Abst., II, 36 ff.31 to the effect that evil demons clothe themselves with flesh and blood in the human body to kindle evil desires. But Plutarch already speaks plainly of demons which undermine virtue in Dio, 2, 3 (I, 958e).
Philosophy incorporated these intermediaries into its system and world view by ascribing pa/qh to demons35 and by giving at least to evil demons a location close to the earth. The doctrine that demons are e)mpaqei=$ is old, going back at least as far as Empedocles.36 According to Plato37 it was worked out by Xenocrates,38 and was shared by Chrysippus as well as Posidonius, and by Plutarch as well as Apuleius and the Neo-Platonists.39 Similarly, we already find the idea of their location in the air in the Epinomis.40 This is greatly expanded in connexion with the pa/qh doctrine,41 and is then incorporated by the Neo-Platonists into a great system of intermediaries which become the more imperfect and wicked the closer they approximate to earth.42 Thus the demons become spatial, and their place in the great ladder from God to man and spirit to matter is that of beings which are superior to man but still imperfect. Their imperfection does not affect their relative divinity. Their wickedness is not simply that of an implacably and causelessly evil will; it is due to their link with matter, and may thus be regarded as an impulsion by cravings which are only too familiar to man, whether in the form of envy, or a self-seeking desire for honour, or the thirst for blood and the odour of sacrifice.43 Although this view of the pa/qh and location of demons corresponds to the impulse of Greek thinking, it is simply a reflection of the popular view of spirits. In animistic belief spirits are radically incalculable, and their operations are conceived after the analogy of men and their passions; they are easily provoked to wrath and envy."
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Copyright © 1972-1989 By Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
The children of Israel rightly associated the physical and mental handicaps among them with sin, as were the result of the curses that God, through Moses, had stated would come upon them if they rebelled against Him and pursued other gods.
Demons
