Bible Study A Herd of Pigs In Our Religious Faith

[ugmug]

A Herd of Pigs In Our Religious Faith


In Matthew 11:21-23 and Luke 10:13-15 Jesus condemns cities that refuse to repent after witnessing Christ's many miracles. It is interesting that the area where these condemned cites are located are in the same area where Jesus healed two demon-possessed men – Matthew 8:28-34 , Mark 5:1-17, Luke 8:26-37.

After Jesus had driven out the demons from the two demon-possessed men the demons said, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

The request by the demons begs the question – What are a herd of pigs doing in Israel? Since the Mosaic law forbids pigs then the existence of a herd of pigs in that region signifies that the people practiced their religion with no particular emphasis on God's law.

Today we have the same situation where our 'herd of pigs' are abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, sharia law, etc., along with all those practices that go against God's law that we seem to embrace with such eagerness.

Eventually God will come back (hint: the rapture) and carry out his promise of eternal condemnation as stated in Matthew 11:21-23 and Luke 10:13-15 for all those who have a 'herd of pigs' in their religious faith.

Believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and let Jesus drive out the 'herd of pigs' in your life by sending all the demons (hint: at their request) into those pigs and then letting the demons drive themselves off the edge of a cliff. Then you'll have life eternal with God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit in heaven forever, and rest assured that when Jesus Christ comes for all of his faithful at the rapture just before the Great Tribulation (hint: read the Book of Revelation) you'll be included.

God Bless

 

[smaller]

I had studied the particular accounts of the matters described above for several years, trying to harmonize the variations between Matthew, Mark and Luke. There are many variations of sights from different commentators, some thinking that there were two separate events for example, because they see no way to harmonize these differences, SUCH AS Matthews account of TWO men, Mark's account of ONE man, and Luke's account of a certain man. Matt. 8, Mark 5 and Luke 8. There is also a location/geographic location difference as well in the accounts between Matthew, stating it to be the Gergesene geographic area and of Mark and Luke stating it was Gaderene area. Both are actually correct from a historical geographical record, which I've bolded below, and in reading below we might see that because of Roman occupation and occupation by non Jewish Greeks it's not therefore unusual that pigs/swine would be there:

"Gadara was one of the Decapolis, or "Ten Cities," that were originally inhabited primarily by Greek people who settled in the region after the time of Alexander the Great's conquest (see Ancient Empires - Greece). After the Romans occupied the region from about 65 B.C. (see Ancient Empires - Rome), Gadara was made the capital of the Roman province of Peraea.

Gadara was located east of The Jordan River on a mountain about 6 miles / 10 kilometers south-east of The Sea Of Galilee. The people of Gadara were known as Gadarenes, although the general area was also known as the "country of the Gerasenes" after the city of Gerasa which was about 45 miles / 73 kilometers farther south. They were still mostly Gentiles in the time of Christ, as indicated by their keeping of pigs (see Clean and Unclean) in the Scripture references below."

I would like to point moreso to the matters of differences in the Spiritual, and why these differences in accounts exist. Will try to be brief. There is actually much more to see than what I'll account for below.

Matthew accounts "two men." He also accounts the area as that of the Gergesenes.

Mark and Luke are in accord, that it was ONE man, a certain man, and that the area was (also) the Gadarenes.

How then do we account for these variations? I do not believe these are "different accounts" and will show "why."

If we understand the condition of the man, the certain man, we should see that there was A. the one man, that certain man. And B. That there was also "many devils" in that man. How many entities do we then see? Just the man? No, we see TWO separate and distinct entities. The man and the devils. It does not take a great deal of understanding then to see TWO parties. IF the devils occupied that "man" then their location was ALSO "in man." To see just "a man" singular was not in order. There was the man and there were devils in that man. This accounts for the variation in sight between Matthew and Mark/Luke. Matthew IS counting "a man" as it pertains to devils in that man as a MAN also, because they are also IN man. This makes TWO separate and distinct parties present IN man. Hence Matthews counting difference.

So, we come then to examine the geographical differences in notations. And here it gets exceptionally interesting. Gergesene, which is in Matthews account translates generally as "dweller on clayey soil." The BODY of man is also known in scripture as "clay." I'd hunt down the citings but this connection of man's body to CLAY is well known by anyone who has studied allegories/associations and parables. If believers have an interest they can look them up. There are also other association terms to man's body in the scriptures to "dust" and "earth" as well as many other association terms. But CLAY is in order here with Matthew.

So Matthews location is not only significant, in that he notes it as 'Gergesene' but that this also is an association term for "dweller on/in clayey soil." Who dwelt in that MAN? Another entity in the body, literally "a man" of sin, identified as "legion" singular, though they were many, in the CLAY, that mans body. Now we have our sights of TWO MEN.

Why then did Mark and Luke describe it as Gaderene? Again, the answer is not just a geographical variance, but the meaning behind the name, which is REWARD AT THE END.

You see, when that MAN, that certain man, was delivered by Jesus of those foreign occupiers of his flesh, his clay, those devils, that was "his reward at the end." The man was then in "his right mind" and quite normal, which also astonished the local populace, and even scared them.

In the Spiritual sights and understandings, these accounts are not only easily harmonized, but quite entirely beautiful, in my eyes. And these "variances" are PURPOSEFULLY put there to draw our attentions to them, that we may see beneath the flesh, beneath the geography, beneath these differences to see WHY they are there, and to find HARMONY.

I hope others would also see the intricacies of the Holy Spirit at work in showing these variations. That is the MARK of the Holy Spirit upon these writers. Which similar marks are found with and in all the Apostolic writings. And these same MARKS are also with every prophet and writer of the O.T. as well, IF one understands the Spiritual Working Principles in the matters.

This is the "Holy Spirit" signature of true Apostleship, in their writings.

The simple division of the Word is the division between MAN and DEVIL. This is "how" the Word is divided and understood. May God in Christ bless all believers in their sights of these matters, that they may see how these things work by our Lord.

 

[turnorburn]

How much of this land is still occupied by Rome?