MARK Chapter 5 "The Demoniac [2-10]." This
Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location Mark 5:1 "And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes." Jesus and His disciples have arrived on the other side of the sea of Galilee. Mark 5:2 "And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit," "The tombs" are the place of the dead; tombs carved out of the rock of the hills. Mark 5:3 "Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:" This man was the fear of the community for he was a man out of control, with such strength that even their chains could not hold him. Mark 5:4 "Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him." There wasn't any one man that could overcome this man that lived in the tombs. Why was this? Because he had super human, supernatural strength with all his power released by these unclean spirits. Of course the place of the dead with the unclean spirits, is the place where Satan dwells. No human being can bind Satan without the help of Jesus Christ. You can and do have power over Satan, but only as long as that power is given in the name of Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. There are not evil spirits behind every bush, but rest assured there are evil spirits. If you have never come in contact with one, that is all the better. It is not a pretty sight to see one that is possessed with an evil spirit, and their actions. But the point here being, you need Christ and your faith to be able to bind an evil spirit. Now lets take a look at how Jesus handles this man, and the spirits that are within him. Mark 5:5 "And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones." This man was in completely out of control; falling over everything and hitting himself against the sharp stones of the tombs. Crying out continually as a man in great torment. Mark 5:6 "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him," These demonics which are the evil spirits that were within this man spotted Jesus a long way off, and the evil spirits knew exactly who Jesus was. So we see this wild man that no one can control, seeing Jesus and running to worship Him at first sight. Mark 5:7 "And cried with a loud voice, and said, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God, that Thou torment me not." These questions are not asked not for information, or requesting an answer. Though the man is asking the questions through his mouth, it is the evil spirits within him that are directing the questions to Jesus. They recognize that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, even though those around Jesus did not, except for Jesus disciples. So this question is spoken like a idiom; like you would; "How are you?" Not that you care for an detailed explanation of how the person is, but it is a greeting which really means "I hope you are well." The evil spirit that possessed this poor lad was from the heavens where Satan dwells today. These spirits came from Satan to take hold of this man. This is the same equivalent of the Holy Spirit coming and dwelling in those that call on Jesus name, for His help and presence from the Lord. This evil spirit knew Christ the Son of God the moment that He say Jesus because when you see one, you see the other. John 10:30 "I and My Father are one." The demonic spirit knew Christ, recognized Him for they knew the Father and recognized the Father in the Son. Lets break the word "torment" back to the prime, and in Strong's Greek dictionary it is # 928; "Basanizo, bas-an-id'-zo; from 931, to torment: pain, torment, toss, toil, vex." Then we read in its prime meaning # 931 "Basanos, a touch stone, to torture, torment." The base meaning is to be cast to the bottom. It is the abyss that he is cast to the bottom, and there is more said here in the Greek than is written in this verse in the English. It is not the man that is asking Jesus not to cast them to the bottom or abyss, but it is the evil spirits within the man that knows that Jesus has the power to put them away for good. They knew Jesus could, and they are pleading with Jesus not to destroy them. Mark 5:8 "For He said unto him, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit." The unclean spirit didn't have any choice in the matter. Mark 5:9 "For He said unto him, "What is thy name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion: for we are many." Any time you deal with numbers you are dealing with biblical numerology, and there is a message there. It is all tied in with the Greek word for "torment", spoken of earlier. A Roman legion at this time was approximately six thousand [6,000] troops. Our Scriptures trace a six thousand year period from the beginning of Adam in the flesh, to the time of the end, when the evil spirits will be cast to the bottom, to the abyss. We are approaching the end of that six thousand year period now in the late 1990's. This takes us right up to the Millennium age, when all the demonics are chained in the abyss, waiting for the time of judgment and destruction. Jesus is teaching in parables, and he expects His elect and those sealed with the truth to read and put together the hidden meaning that those without the eyes to see and the ears to hear are able to comprehend. Remember from the parable of the sower from the last chapter, Jesus said, I speak in parables because it isn't meant for every one to know and understand. Mark 5:10 "And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country." These evil spirits knew that if Christ sent them back where they came from, for they had left their place of habitation, and to return meant death for them. This is why they fear those that are not afraid to exercise the power of the Lord. These little demonics are begging of Jesus; we don't want to go back. Mark 5:11 "Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding." The body of the swine is the lowest carnal flesh on earth. Mark 5:12 "And all the devils besought Him, saying, "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them." Jesus is standing before these six thousand evil spirits, with all the people standing by and watching this event take place. These spirits are begging Jesus to send them into the swine, and not back to the abyss. At this time these demonics are not particular, they will enter into anything. The teaching of reincarnation is becoming more common today, and in that teaching these spirits represent that they understand where your spirit has been in the past. Those that deal in this form of devil worship, are dealing with evil spirit possession. They are blind to the fact where the evil spirits exist and what they are. They overlook the fact that evil spirits are supernatural and they can exist or indwell in one person in one generation, and possess another person centuries later. They are not in the same form of the flesh as you and I are in, in our flesh bodies. There was a lady that claimed that she lived some four hundred years ago in Spain. She described the street and the number of the house she lived in way back then. She described the surroundings when she had never been in Spain, and details that only a person living them would know. Was her spirit there? Absolutely not. The woman living today was possessed by the same evil spirit that a lady which lived four hundred years prior was possessed with. Though the information will be correct, it wasn't the person in the flesh giving the information, but the evil spirit, or demonic within her that was revealing the facts. There is no mystery to demon worship, or the things of evil spirits. As God told us through Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9; "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." So the request of the evil spirits is that they be sent into the swine. Mark 5:13 "And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;)" These six thousand evil spirits entered into these two thousand swine, so why did Jesus not send these evil spirit back to the abyss? Why did Jesus allow these spirits to go into the swine? For the moment the swine drown in the sea, they will leave the swine and go else where. Jesus knew that they will continue to roam and search for a dry place. Stop and think for a moment about the symbolism that is in this verse. The "sea" is symbolic of the pit or abyss. The number "two thousand" [2,000] in biblical numerics in years take you from the time of Christ to the end that would fulfill the six thousand that was spoken of earlier, as the period of the age of the flesh man, from Adam to the second coming. This is not to set dates, but it is looking at this in another light, knowing that every thing has a purpose in the eyes of God. So why would Jesus not send them back to the pit? and what is Jesus trying to demonstrate to us that follow Him? Jesus gave us power over all of our enemies, and these evil spirits from Satan are included as our enemies. Luke 10:18 "And He said unto them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." The serpents are the Kenites, the offspring of through Cain from the union between Satan [in the role of serpent] and Eve. While the "scorpions" are those fallen entities of Satan, the fallen angels and these evil spirits. Jesus is telling us that if we understand His parables and His teaching, it is for us to send the evil spirits back when they try to interfere in our lives. That is the power that we have in Jesus name. However it takes the faith action on your part to give the command, and take the authority to use that power is in "Jesus name". You don't have to worry about any evil spirit, or put up with their torments and harassments, you have the power in Christ to order them back where they came from. They came from the abyss and that is where you can send them to. When you send them back, they must say and obey your voice. Jesus left that power with His disciples which is His students, and that applies to all generation. If you are one of His students and studying His Word, then that authority is yours also. The word "disciple" comes from the same root word as the word "discipline" comes from. When you discipline yourself in God's Word and apply it to your life, you are a disciple of Christ. It requires your studying of the Word to have an understand of how you are to use that power. That is why Jesus let these evil spirits go into the swine, for He expects you to take that power when they come against you. Mark 5:14 "And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country." Those herdsmen that were there to witness the swine coming out of this man of the tombs, fled from that location. They had just lost their jobs, the herd, and witnessed something that was freightening to them. They went to the city and the word spread throughout all the countryside of what happened to their swine. This thing that Jesus did caused a great deal of concern for it not only took jobs, but took the bacon right off the table. Are you starting to get the picture? until the evil spirits came out of the man and actually affected their personal lives and living wage, they just didn't care where the evil spirits were living in nor what they did. Mark 5:15 "And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid." When this man was stumbling around in the tomb, crying out in pain and hurting himself on the sharp stones of the tombs; that was alright with with the community. However, it became frightening to them when this man that was possessed with the devil and the legion of evil spirits was cleaned up and in his right mind. Why in the world would anyone be afraid for a miracle of this nature? They lost their pork, they lost their jobs and that hurt their pocketbooks. Mark 5:16 "And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine." These pork farmers saw the whole thing happening right before their eyes, as the evil spirits argued with Jesus and then Jesus commanded them to enter into the pigs. They saw the pigs run as fast as they could go into the sea and drown themselves. All they could think of as their pigs ran into the sea what their great financial loss. When Jesus was around, things happened, and they didn't want anything else unexpected to happen to them. Mark 5:17 "And they began to pray Him to depart out of their coasts." These people begged and commanded Jesus to depart from their side of the sea. They wanted nothing to do with Jesus and His miracles. We see that when carnal flesh is affected and the Word is not sown within it, it will always act to please its carnal ways. Mark 5:18 "And when He was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him." The man that was possessed with the evil spirits, was now clean and wanted to go with Jesus and the disciples as they departed in their ship. Many people saw what had happened to this man, and he would be a lot of help and a great witness. Mark 5:19 "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." Jesus wouldn't let him go with them. The Lord used this one that lived amongst the dead and was possessed with many evil spirits to be a witness amongst his family and those of that community. The place of his witnessing was to be amongst those that knew him, that had seen the change that came over him. Jesus is using this man to spread the Word of God and plant it in his own community. He is using the one least expected to be his witness amongst the community. Mark 5:20 "And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." The word of the miracle that Jesus did for this man went before him where ever he went, and the people were open to what he had to say. They knew of the strength he had to break the chains, and the way that he lived. Now standing before them was this clean cut man, sound in mind and preaching the Word to them. All of the people that listened to him, marveled at what they were seeing and hearing. This man that everyone feared was not telling them of the love of the Lord. Mark 5:21 "And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto Him: and He was nigh unto the sea." Mark 5:22 "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name ; and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet," We can see faith in this man named Jairus. He held a high position in the synagogue and he came to Jesus and fell at Jesus feet. Jairus heard and believed what Jesus was saying. He knew that Jesus possessed the power of God within Him. Mark 5:23 "And besought Him greatly, saying, "My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray Thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live." This expression is just like that expression given earlier; "Let us pass over." This religious ruler of the synagogue said, "Lay Thy hands of her, and she shall live." Do you think that there was any doubt in the mind of Jairus' mind. No, this ruler of the synagogue said, "I know she will be healed if you will come." There was no doubt, not maybe, not perhaps, but I know she shall be healed. Mark 5:24 "And Jesus went with him; and much people followed Him, and thronged Him." Mark 5:25 "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years," This is a chapter of numerics, so pay attention to the number twelve. This woman had an issue of blood for twelve years. There are twelve sons of Jacob, and twelve tribes of Israel that are scattered around the world. Israel is sick at this time, and she also doesn't know who she is, or where she came from. Israel thinks she knows were she is today, but those so-called lost tribes of Israel are spiritually sick in these latter years. Mark 5:26 "And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse," This is not to tare down physicians and the money they charge or what they do, but it is merely showing that every one this woman went to, did not have the answer. The more she sought help the worse the sickness grew. The doctors gave up on sick this woman in their treatment. Mark 5:27 "When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment." Mark 5:28 "For she said, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." She knew that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. Do you see the faith that this woman had in this? She didn't sit back and say that it is a waste of time, and it is to much work to fight the crowds to do it, no she struggled and fought the crowd to get close enough just to touch Jesus' garment. If you have doubt and say, "it won't happen", you are speaking the verdict right out of your own mouth. It won't happen for there is no faith. Its like most of the people in the Christian boat today, they have their seat, and they just don't care if the rest of the world sinks if they can't believe. Mark 5:29 "And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of the plague." Immediately the issue of her blood was dried up and she was healed. "Felt" as given here is "ginosko" in the Greek text and it means to know by divine power. She knew by divine power that she was healed immediately of her blood issue. . Mark 5:30 "And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, "Who touched My clothes." Mark 5:31 "And His disciples said unto Him, "Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, 'Who thouched Me?' " With the crowds pressing all around Jesus and his disciples, when the virtue of power had gone out of Jesus and into this woman for her healing, Jesus knew it immediately. It didn't flow to everyone, but just to this woman. Jesus disciples were no doubt tired form the journey and trying to keep the crowd back away from Jesus, and the entire idea of the question, "Who touched me?" seemed foolish to His disciples. Mark 5:32 "And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing." Jesus knew exactly who this woman was and of her troubles and sickness. Mark 5:33 "But the woman fearing the trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth." Mark 5:34 "And He said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." Faith is a very precious thing, and it is something that must come from within you. Faith comes by allowing the Word to germinate within your mind by the Holy Spirit. Remember what Jesus said earlier, that if you don't understand the parable of the sower, you won't understand any of the rest of the teachings. The "Parable of the sower" is the planting of the seed, and allowing the Holy Spirit to germinate that seed of truth in the mind to were the stock is formed, then the ears come on the stock and finally the corn is formed on the ears. You take in the Word of God into your mind, and the Holy Spirit gives you the germination of that thought or idea to where your ears are formed that gives you the understanding. It is after the ears are formed that the fruit or kernels of corn or fruit comes on the ears. Mark 4:23, 24 "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." [23] "And He said unto them, "Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given." [24] So it is when you study the Word and grow stronger, for it is God that causes the strength and the growth to take place in you. Mark 5:35 "While He wet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?" Here comes the family out to meet Jesus and this ruler of the synagogue also to meet them as they are arriving. They are cry and telling Jesus that He is to late, the girl is gone and dead. Don't bother the Master any more, they are telling Jairus. Mark 5:36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, "Be not afraid, only believe." Here again Jesus is telling this ruler, only believe, have faith. Mark 5:37 "And He suffered no man to follow Him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James." Notice that these are the same three disciples that He took to the high mount with him the day He was transfigured. That lesson was given to give understanding of the resurrection from the dead, when Jesus would come out of the tomb. This is given in Matthew 17, and Mark 9. Matthew 17:1 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James and John his brother and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart," Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light." Mathew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him." These three witnessed were shown a lesson whereby they would be able to understand the resurrection of the dead. Mark 5:38 "And He cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly." They hired professionals to weep and carry on for the death of the loved one. They were all there going through their routine for the dead when Jesus arrived. Mark 5:39 "And when He was come in, He saith unto them, "Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." Mark 5:40 "And they laughed Him to scorn. But when He had put them all out, He taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with Him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying." When Jesus told these people that the girl is not dead but she is only sleeping, they all laughed and scorned at Jesus for what He had said. Then after Jesus had chased all of the spiritual dead weight out of the room, those unbelievers and scorners at the power of God, Jesus took only the family members with faith, and the three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Mark 5:41 "And He took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, "Talitha cumi;" which is, being interpreted, "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." Remember what Jesus said when He was nailed to the cross, and as he was dying He spoke these words. Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani", which is to say, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" Jesus spoke in the language of freedom on that day as He hung on the cross, in pure Hebrew. However on this day when Jesus spoke the words over the body of this girl, he spoke in the Aramic, the language of the captivity. Mark 5:42 "And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment." Here again is the number twelve given; she was at the age of twelve years old. One year for each of the tribes. Mark 5:43 "And He charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat." In Luke 8:55 where this is also recorded; "And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat." Not the milk but the meat. Spiritually speaking not just salvation and baptism, but the depth of the Word which is the meat of God's Word. Jesus spoke in the language of the captivity to document the fact that even in this earth age, with Satan being the prince of the air, we have the authority over all of Satan's powers. Satan will bother you, if you let him, but you don't have to allow it. You have power over Him, but there are many today that seem to enjoy being kicked around by Satan, and his realm. Even though the captivity will continue over Israel, all twelve tribes of both the house of Israel and the house of Judah, until the day of Christ's return. However you don't have to remain under Satan captivity, and it is only through the meat of God's Word that can set you free, and make you an overcomer. The number twelve was given as a double witness, first the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, and the second the child of twelve that died and Christ healed. This should also remind you of the two sisters of Ezekiel 23, Aholah and Aholibah. These two sisters represented the two sisters the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Ezekiel 23:5 "Aholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her loves, on the Assyrians her neighbours," "Aholah" represented the "house of Israel", the nation to the north made up of the ten tribes of Israel that God gave into the hands of Jeroboam at Solomon's death, they turned from God to idol worship, and played the spiritual role of the harlot. Israel took on the gods of Assyria, her neighbor to the north, until God turned them over to Assyria and all these ten tribes were scattered. Today true Israel has no idea who they are or where they came from, however, the only thing of remembrance is the name that stuck with her, "Caucasian", named after their migration through the Caucasus mountains. In the book of Hosea they are told what they will be called and how to identify them in that latter days. Hosea 1:10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, 'Ye are not My People,' there it shall be said unto them, 'Ye are the sons of the living God." This prophecy is given to the end generation, and addressed to the children of the house of Israel, those ten tribes that went to make up all Israel except for the house of Judah. We know who the house of Judah is today for they call themselves "Jews". The Jews are those of the tribes of Judah, and Benjamin, as well as part of the tribe of Levi. The Kenites or Orientals that mixed with them many years ago in Babylon and before, are in ignorance also thought to be of Judah. In the end time generation of today, the people of the house of Israel will be many, formed into many nations, and where they are located they will not consider themselves to be of Jacob [Israel], but you can identify them by what they call themselves as a nation. That identification will be "The sons of the living God". Jesus Christ is the living God, and those that attach themselves to Christ call themselves "Christians". The house of Israel are all the Christian nations of today. They are all sick with an issue flowing in their spiritual blood as the woman had for her twelve years, and they are becoming spiritually dead, just as Jairus' daughter was here. God has a purpose and a destiny for His people the elect, that know there is more to God's Word than they were taught as a child.
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