"Seven Questions and Seven Answers; One for each day of the Week usually posted by Saturday"
ONE
Understanding Luke 11:24-26
Q. I’m a bit confused about Luke 11: 24-26. Here Jesus speaks about an impure spirit that is driven out of a person and it goes away and wanders, and then comes back with 7 other impure spirits and worsen the condition of the person. What is Jesus teaching here? My other question is can a Born Again believer be possessed by demons?
A. Luke 11:24-26 is a complex passage so a little background is in order. From numerous references we can conclude that evil spirits crave embodiment. For example, when Jesus drove the spirits out of the man in the Gadarenes (Mark 5:1-17) they begged to be allowed to inhabit a herd of pigs rather than be sent back to the abyss. So if an evil spirit is driven out of a person it will immediately look for another person to inhabit.
In Luke 11:24-26 Jesus said when an evil spirit comes out of a person, it searches for another place of rest (another person to inhabit). Not finding one it goes back to the person it came out of and finds it ready and waiting. The spirit re-inhabits the person and brings seven of its friends making the state of that person worse than before.
The point was that driving out an evil spirit is only half the job. We can’t just leave ourselves empty. A stronger spirit must be invited in to prevent the evil spirit from coming back and bringing his friends.
Earlier, in Luke 11:21-22, He said even a strong man cannot protect his house if someone stronger comes along. Demons are stronger than men, so men cannot protect themselves from demons, but God is stronger than the demons. John wrote, “The one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Therefore inviting the Lord to dwell within us is the only sure way to remain free from demon possession. This leads to the conclusion that born again believers cannot be demon possessed.
TWO
Saints Alive!
Q. I understand from my studies that there are 3 groups of saints, Old testament saints who believed in a coming Messiah, Church saints, who come to the Lord between Pentecost and the Rapture, and Tribulation Saints who believe in Him after the Rapture but before the 2nd Coming. When is each group given glorified bodies? I know that the Church/Bride is given glorified bodies at the Rapture – but what about the others? And where do we/they all reside in the years between the (pre-trib) Rapture and the New Heaven & Earth after the Millennium?
A. You’re correct in saying that all Church Age saints will receive glorified bodies at the rapture/resurrection. We will reside in the New Jerusalem. Old Testament saints will receive their new bodies at the time of the 2nd Coming (Daniel 12:2) and will dwell in Israel. Tribulation saints who are martyred will receive new bodies along with Old Testament saints at the time of the 2nd Coming (Rev. 20:4-5), and will serve the Lord in His Temple (Rev. 7:14-15). Tribulation Saints who survive in their natural state will re-populate the nations on Earth during the Millennium. (Matt. 25:34)
But you must look at Rev. 21-22 again. The first verses of each chapter are virtual copies of the Old Testament, put there to show you that John was speaking of Earth at the beginning of the Millennium, not its end. It’s confusing because Rev. 20:7-15is a parenthetical passage John used to follow two thoughts to their conclusion; the final disposition of Satan and the 2nd resurrection.
Then, beginning in Rev. 21 he went back to describe the Millennium including the New Jerusalem, home of the Church, and the restored Earth, home of redeemed Israel and Tribulation Saints. We know this partly because Rev. 21:1 is a direct quote fromIsaiah 65:17 where the context is the Millennium, and Rev. 22:1-7 is taken from Ezekiel 47:1-12, another Millennial passage. Time is also referenced in Rev. 22:2 with the tree bearing 12 crops of fruit one each month, and eternity by definition is the absence of time.
Q. I understand from my studies that there are 3 groups of saints, Old testament saints who believed in a coming Messiah, Church saints, who come to the Lord between Pentecost and the Rapture, and Tribulation Saints who believe in Him after the Rapture but before the 2nd Coming. When is each group given glorified bodies? I know that the Church/Bride is given glorified bodies at the Rapture – but what about the others? And where do we/they all reside in the years between the (pre-trib) Rapture and the New Heaven & Earth after the Millennium?
A. You’re correct in saying that all Church Age saints will receive glorified bodies at the rapture/resurrection. We will reside in the New Jerusalem. Old Testament saints will receive their new bodies at the time of the 2nd Coming (Daniel 12:2) and will dwell in Israel. Tribulation saints who are martyred will receive new bodies along with Old Testament saints at the time of the 2nd Coming (Rev. 20:4-5), and will serve the Lord in His Temple (Rev. 7:14-15). Tribulation Saints who survive in their natural state will re-populate the nations on Earth during the Millennium. (Matt. 25:34)
But you must look at Rev. 21-22 again. The first verses of each chapter are virtual copies of the Old Testament, put there to show you that John was speaking of Earth at the beginning of the Millennium, not its end. It’s confusing because Rev. 20:7-15is a parenthetical passage John used to follow two thoughts to their conclusion; the final disposition of Satan and the 2nd resurrection.
Then, beginning in Rev. 21 he went back to describe the Millennium including the New Jerusalem, home of the Church, and the restored Earth, home of redeemed Israel and Tribulation Saints. We know this partly because Rev. 21:1 is a direct quote fromIsaiah 65:17 where the context is the Millennium, and Rev. 22:1-7 is taken from Ezekiel 47:1-12, another Millennial passage. Time is also referenced in Rev. 22:2 with the tree bearing 12 crops of fruit one each month, and eternity by definition is the absence of time.
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