[stephanos]

So my mother was asking me tonight about this passage of Scripture:

Matthew 8:28-34 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

She wanted to know why the devils would want to be cast into swine that ultimately would end up dead in the sea. I of course have no clue. Anyone have some insight on this?

Peace and Love,
Stephen

[Luke]

Well, the devils say they don't want to be cast out into the deep, and be tormented before their time of judgment

Luk 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
Luk 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
Luk 8:32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

Now, the deep cannot refer to the ocean, because they all went down the hill into the sea the next moment.

The deep is that great deep. Gap theory actually helps explain this, as in that doctrine, the original earth was half in water and half out of water (floating), and God's judgment on that original earth was to submerse it (Genesis 1:2) in the great body of water called the great deep. In the recreation, God separates the waters and makes a space in the middle of them for the earth and all other stuff to reside.

Even without gap theory it's basically the same. The great deep is a HUGE HUGE HUGE body of water around the universe that seperates the second heaven from the firmament of God's power.

As for why they killed the pigs, I don't know. Maybe the devils just like death, but couldn't kill the man they inhabited because God did not allow them to.. not sure

[chette777]

Stephen,

The 1000 devils wanted to remain in a physical body. so instead they asked to be sent into the swine. But God wanted them out of the physical world altogether so after they went in God caused the herd to commit suicide. when this happened the devils were released from the physical bodies any way.

supposedly if you eat the meat of a possessed animal you (as an unsaved person) can be posssessed by the devil that possessed the animal.

Jesus was casting them out to show forth the power of God in that he was the judge of all. you will notice the devils knew their time was not yet. to bad not all men will recognize the to shall face judgement and torment.

[Brother Tim]

Key thought: satan and his minions cannot know the future. The devils did not know what the reaction of the swine would be.

[Brother Tim]

supposedly if you eat the meat of a possessed animal you (as an unsaved person) can be posssessed by the devil that possessed the animal.

Chette, be careful of unscriptural fantasies.

[Biblestudent]

Originally Posted by Luke

Luk 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
Luk 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
Luk 8:32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

Now, the deep cannot refer to the ocean, because they all went down the hill into the sea the next moment.

Very nice observation, Luke! Thanks.

[chette777]

Tim, I am not saying that was true and my statement was circled with the words "supposedly" . Nor did I say that it was scriptual. But that is what the Jews and others of that area then and even today believed according to some sources.

I am not dabbeling in fantasy as far as it was related to me it was beleived by others to be true. and I don't beleive a saved person can be possessed by a devil. but there are many ways an unsaved person can be possessed.

we helped a lady over come a devil that had been in her since she was three. how it got into her was from a witchdoctor doing a fertility rite that her parents allowed even though the girl had no free will in it, she was possessed by a devil at that time.

The Bible does not discribe how a person becomes demon possessed. But there were many in the NT who were demon possessed. As to how a person becomes demon possessed is purley outside the scriptures. How did the one with the legion get possessed. The Bible tells us not. but there are many ways for it to happen.

Bible student,

Deep space might be the place they went??