Origin of Demons

According to the Bible, the origin of evil and, subsequently, demons or evil spirits began with the fall of Lucifer. Most Bible students are fully aware of this.

We understand from scripture that these fallen angels are powerful beings who occupy the atmosphere and stratosphere of our Earth. We also know from scripture that there is a hierarchy or order among the evil spirits with Satan being the chief.

In Ephesians 6:12 we read, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

There are classes of evil spirits or demons and some of those evil spirits are bound to this Earth. It is the origin of the earthbound demons that is the focus of this article.

It is from one of the lost books of the Bible that gives us a clue to the identity of these evil spirits that I believe are responsible for hauntings and possessions that we hear so much about in our modern day world.

The book is called the book of Enoch. Although it is not considered part of scripture or the sacred text of the Bible, it is the only lost book that is quoted in the Bible. Jude stated, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying , Behold , the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints," Jude, who was a prophet, quoted from the book of Enoch so the Jews of Jude's day were familiar with the book.

It is from the book of Enoch and the book of Genesis that gives a hint about a new class of demon that is not a fallen angel but a hybrid of man and angel. This article focuses on the origin of those demons.

In the book of Genesis we read 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Who were these sons of God? In the book of Job the sons of God are identified as angels. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. Job 1:6

Concerning the daughters of men the book of Enoch states in Chapter 7 verse 1 It happened after the sons of men had multiplied in those days, that daughters were born to them, elegant and beautiful. Notice there is a distinction between sons of God and sons of men. The women that were the earlier descendants of Adam were, in all likelihood, were far prettier than the women of our day.

Genesis simply stated that the sons of God or angels took wives of the daughters of men which brings up questions. Why or how could an angel, a being that neither marries or is given in marriage, take a wife? Why would an angel even want to? According to scripture angels are spirit beings.

Hebrews 1:13-14 tell us about the angels who have not fallen: 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool ? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Again, the book of Enoch chapter 7 gives us a clue about a specific group of angels who had probably not yet fallen but committed sin against God.

2And when the angels, the sons of heaven, beheld them, they became enamoured of them, saying to each other, Come, let us select for ourselves wives from the progeny of men, and let us beget children.

3 Then their leader Samyaza said to them; I fear that you may perhaps be indisposed to the performance of this enterprise;

4 And that I alone shall suffer for so grievous a crime.

5 But they answered him and said; We all swear;

6 And bind ourselves by mutual execrations, that we will not change our intention, but execute our projected undertaking.

7 Then they swore all together, and all bound themselves by mutual execrations. Their whole number was two hundred, who descended upon Ardis, which is the top of mount Armon.

Here we have a group of 200 angels who had become enamored of the beauty of women (God stated man was created in His image) who made a pact to make some of these women their wives and they all knew it was a "grievous crime".

The book of Jude helps to explain how this could have happened. Chapter 1 Verses 6 and 7 read, 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication , and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

This tells us that a group angels "kept not their first estate" which could mean that these angels abandoned their own home. These angels were not kicked out of heaven but abandoned it. It could also mean that these angels abandoned their celestial bodies to take on physical ones because we have incidents in scripture were angels have appeared to men in the form of human beings and scripture also tells us that sometimes we may entertain angels without knowing it.

Notice the sin of these angels: "going after strange flesh" which is the lure of all sexual sin.

What was the result of this union of angels and women? There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

We know that God destroyed the earth with flood sometime after this union that produced a race of giants or Nephilim. The book also stated these giants were on the earth afterward. How could that be if the flood killed all but Noah and his family?

The book of Enoch offers an explanation in Chapter 15 8 Now the giants, who have been born of spirit and of flesh, shall be called upon earth evil spirits, and on earth shall be their habitation. Evil spirits shall proceed from their flesh, because they were created from above; from the holy Watchers was their beginning and primary foundation. Evil spirits shall they be upon earth, and the spirits of the wicked shall they be called. The habitation of the spirits of heaven shall be in heaven; but upon earth shall be the habitation of terrestrial spirits, who are born on earth.

This tells us that the spirit of the Nephilim are earthbound evil spirits. These same spirits are also subject to the command of the more powerful fallen angels. I believe it is these spirits that are the ones responsible for hauntings, pretending to be the voices of people who have passed away, taking possession of the bodies of people because they once had bodies and desire to be in one again.

The book of Enoch also reveals that this hybrid of angels and humans also were taught sorcery and astrology along with many inventions. This altered the world of that time so completely that God destroyed it with flood.

Some people believe that Satan and evil spirits do not exist. They are very foolish. The origin of demons began with the fall of Satan and the subsequent fall of angels. Satan also led man into falling into sin. However, we all have hope because Jesus died on the cross to take away our sin and give us hope for a future where evil does not exist. Satan, the Nephilim, and fallen angels have already been defeated.

Copyright 2010 by Gary Goodworth

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