The
Demoniac of Gadara
By Pastor F. M. Riley
July 31, 2010
Texts: Matthew 8:23-34 Mark 4:35-41 - 5:1-20 Luke 8:22-40
Introduction
These
three texts by the three inspired writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, record the salvation
by the Lord Jesus Christ of the demon possessed man of Gadara. All three
accounts should be studied and carefully compared to get all the details of the
event. There are slight differences in wording in each account as the Holy
Spirit led each writer to set forth the particular truth the Lord wanted
emphasized in each account.
I invite our readers to join us for an
enlightening Bible study…….
Types and Shadows
As we begin I want to remind our readers that
God’s Word is filled with types and
shadows. This is not just my
opinion! It is expressly stated in 1
Corinthians 10:1-11, 1 Peter 1:11, and other places in the inspired
Word.
In 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 Paul reminded
the Corinthian church that all the things which had happened to Israel
in the past “…were our examples [typos…types], to the intent we [New Testament
believers] should not lust after evil
things, as they also lusted, 10:6. In
verse 11 Paul wrote, “Now all these things happened unto
them for examples [types]: and they are written for our admonition
[instruction], upon whom the ends of
the world [aion…age] are come.” Could it be stated any plainer?
In 1 Peter 1:10-11 Peter, when speaking
about the writings of the Old Testament prophets, explicitly states that the prophets
“…inquired
and searched diligently…” the very Word which the Lord had given them, “Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the
glory that should follow.” In
this Scripture the writings of the Old
Testament prophets are divided into two
great types. Everything they
wrote about set forth either a type
of “the
sufferings of Christ” which would lead up to His rejection, betrayal,
and crucifixion, or a type of “the
glory” that Christ would enter into following His resurrection. Praise God!
I am aware that some of our readers may
have never studied the types and shadows in God’s Word, Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 8:5;
10:1. Types and shadows in no way diminish the spiritual lessons set
forth in the surface text, but rather add to them deeper spiritual lessons
concealed in the text. Genesis
22 is a perfect example of this truth, where the offering up of Isaac typifies the future offering up
of Christ. I could point out many other
examples in God’s Word, but let’s just move on…..
In
these three accounts of the salvation of the Demoniac of Gadara is set forth a wonderful type of the Lord’s mercy and grace upon all lost
sinners. Praise the Lord!
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A Brief Overview…….
The account as briefly stated is that
Christ entered into a ship with His disciples late in the evening and sailed
across the Sea of Galilee during the night. A great storm came up during the night which
the Lord rebuked, thereby protecting the lives of His disciples.
Early
in the morning Christ and the disciples reached the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. At that time in history this was the land of Gadara, a land populated mostly by Roman
officials and soldiers and Gentiles.
Immediately after landing the Lord was met
by a man [Matthew’s account speaks of two
men] possessed by an “unclean spirit” [a demon].
The demon or demons indwelling the man caused him to be what we
today regard as insane or a lunatic. The man was naked, fierce, wild,
emotionally unstable, uncontrollable, and lived in a cemetery among the tombs. Notice that the entire exchange in all three
accounts is between Christ and the “unclean spirit” dwelling in the
man.
Christ proceeded to cast the demons out of
the man. Beholding all that occurred were a group of
citizens of that country, who were near by watching over a herd of swine. When the Lord cast the demons out of the man,
the demons went into the herd of swine.
The swine then committed suicide by rushing in mass down into the sea
where they were drowned. The keepers of
the swine were so frightened by the incident that they fled, going into the
city of Gergesa
and reporting what had happened. The
inhabitants of the city then came out and found the man before Christ “…sitting,
and clothed, and in his right mind…,” Mark 5:15. Obviously, the man had been saved!
The sudden change in the man frightened the
inhabitants of the city to the extent that they asked the Lord to leave their country. Christ accommodated them and left, returning
back across the sea to Galilee. As He entered the ship to leave, the man who
had been freed from the demons desired to go with the Lord. However, the Lord refused his request,
instead telling him to “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how
great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee,”
Mark 5:19. The Scriptures then
state that the man “…departed, and began to publish in Decapolis
how great things Jesus had done for him; and all men did marvel,” Mark 5:20.
The Surface Text
There is no question that any
true believer can surely see a picture of the spiritual condition of any lost
man [or woman] in this incident. Satan, his fallen angels, and his demon
spirits have deceived the masses of humanity so that fallen mankind is lost in
sin. In this fallen condition lost people stand spiritually naked before God, are
not in their right minds, and habitually practice a lifestyle which will only
lead to death and destruction, Romans 6:23.
In this lost condition they are totally beyond the ability of
fallen mankind’s help. There is no way
that fallen men can ever set another fallen human being free from the curse of sin. All of the plans and programs of men will
fail, just like the lunatic broke the chains and fetters with which he was
bound.
It is only when men come to the Lord Jesus Christ
in repentance and faith that they will find deliverance, salvation, and
freedom. Salvation is of the Lord, and
the Lord Himself explicitly stated, “If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free
2
indeed,”
John 8:36. Read John 3:16, 5:24, and
14:6.
Now any true
man of God ought to be able to take this account set forth in God’s
Word and preach and teach a great “salvation” message from it. Amen?
But let’s dig a little Deeper…..
I say without hesitation that there is a
far greater message concealed beneath the surface text of this account. The concealed message is the one I want to
share with our readers as we seriously study this account to see what hidden
treasure the Lord has for us. Read Proverbs
2:1-7 and 25:2. Now let’s begin…..
The Evening and the Morning…..
In Mark’s account of this event, it is
specifically stated, “And the same day, when the even was come,
He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side,” Mark 4:35. See
also Matthew
8:16. This makes it clear that the trip across the sea was made during
the night, and they reached Gadara
the next morning. This sets forth
the first types in this
event.
The
word “evening,”
when used in a symbolic sense in God’s Word, always typifies the end of a
dispensation or period of time.
The word “morning,” when used in a
symbolic sense in God’s Word, always typifies
the beginning or dawning of a new dispensation or period of time.
Now let’s see how these truths apply to
this account of the healing of the demoniac of Gadara?
The
Evening…….The context in each of the three accounts points out that on this occasion Christ left
the land of Judea [Israel] and sailed
across the Sea of Galilee to a Gentile land.
It is then obvious that the “evening” in this account is typical of the closing of the
Dispensation of Law, after which Christ then typically journeys with His New Testament disciples through “the
night” of the Dispensation of Grace.
This
present Dispensation of Grace is the night time of human history [Romans 13:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-7],
and RIGHT NOW humanity is approaching the darkest two hours of this
world’s night. Read Revelation 3:10 and 14:7. “The day of the Lord” [the Tribulation] is staring lost humanity in the face even as I write, and
God’s people [true believers] are
headed for “the day of God,” 2
Peter 3:10-12.
The Morning…….The “morning” is used in the prophetic
Scriptures in reference to the sense of the “morning” of creation, the “morning” of
the resurrection, the “morning” of “the day of salvation,”
the “morning” of “the day of the Lord” the “morning” of the promised Millennial
Kingdom, the “morning” of “the day of God,” etc. See for example Psalm 30:5, “For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Glory
to God!
The clear intimation in the three accounts
is that Christ and His disciples arrived at Gadara
early in the morning after sailing across the Sea
of Galilee during the night.
Since the crossing of the sea
during the night is a type of
the present Dispensation of Grace, then the arrival in the morning would be typical of a new dispensation or period
of time; the Tribulation period.
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The Sea of Galilee
Galilee…….In each of these accounts the
Lord left the land of Judaea [Israel] and
crossed the Sea of Galilee. The Greek word translated as “Galilee” literally means, “circle; circuit; ring.” In other words, that which goes around
or repeats itself. See Thayer’s
Greek Lexicon, page 108, Strong’s No. 1056. This makes it obvious that this historical
event typified an event of far
greater magnitude which was to be repeated in the future. Glory!
The Sea…….In God’s Word the symbolic use of the word “sea”
always typifies the masses of
humanity. Scriptural proof of this is
clearly stated…..
In Isaiah 17:12-13 where we
read, “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the
noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of
mighty waters! The nations shall
rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee afar off, and shall be chased as
the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the
whirlwind.” This is a prophecy
which is to be fulfilled during the future Tribulation. See Isaiah 40:21-24, 66:15-16, Jeremiah
23:19-20, 25:31-33, 30:23-24, and other similar Scriptures.
Then
in Revelation
17:15 John is explicitly told, “…The waters which thou sawest, where the
whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Could
any symbolism be set forth more clearly? In other words, the “sea” is a type of the “sea of humanity.”
This account of the healing of the
demoniac of Gadara then typically portrays the Lord, after having been rejected and
crucified by Israel, leaving
Israel
and accompanying His New Testament believers across the “sea of humanity” during
this present dispensation. Just as He
promised, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,” so the Lord has been
with true NT believers through every storm of life as the “sea of humanity” has
ebbed and flowed, roared and raged, across the centuries of this present
dispensation. See Matthew 28:20 and Hebrews
13:5-6.
The Storm
The Great
Storm…….All three accounts record a “great
storm” arising during the night, apparently just a short time before
the Lord and His disciples reached their destination. The Lord rebuked the storm, thereby keeping
His disciples safe and well.
When the word “storm” is used in God’s
Word in a symbolic sense, it typifies
trials, testings, persecution, suffering, etc.
Over the 2,000 years of this dispensation there have been many such “storms”
which have come against God’s people, yet the Lord has always been there with
and for His people. The “great
storm” in this account appears to have occurred shortly before the Lord
and His disciples reached their desired destination.
This is very interesting in view of the
desired destination of God’s people today. We New Testament believers are traveling
towards the Kingdom
of God in Heaven. At this point in time we are living in the
“last days,” and even as I write the shores of God’s kingdom are in sight of
those who have “seeing eyes” and “hearing ears.” Yet RIGHT NOW the greatest “storm”
in human history is swiftly approaching. Yes, I am speaking
4
of
the approaching Tribulation period. Is
this just coincidence? I think not!
I would emphasize to our readers that it
was the cries of the disciples that caused the Lord to arise and rebuke
the wind and waves and calm the sea on behalf of His disciples. Instead of having to endure the storm
the Lord gave to His disciples “a great calm,” Matthew 8:26; Mark 5:39;
Luke 8:24. Isn’t this exactly
what is going to happen when the Lord resurrects and raptures His New Testament
believers to glory? Are YOU one of the
Lord’s disciples? Are YOU crying out to
Him to come and rescue His people? Yes, 1
Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 are still in the Bible, whether
some like it or not.
The Land
Gadara…….Ultimately Christ and His disciples arrived in the
country of Gadara,
or as Matthew’s account calls it, “…the country of the Gergesenes,” Matthew
8:28. During the personal
ministry of Christ this was the Tetrarchy of Philip. The city of Gadara was the capital. The city of Gergesa
was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Apparently Christ came ashore very close to this city. Check your Bible maps.
The
Land…….When the word “land” or “shore” is used in a
symbolic sense in the Scriptures, it usually refers to reaching a specified
destination such as the Kingdom of God, Heaven, or the promised Millennial
Kingdom. Compare Matthew 13:47-50 with Matthew
25:31-46.
It is
obvious that in all three accounts of this event, the Lord Jesus Christ left
the land of Judea, crossed the Sea of Galilee, and went to “the country of the Gadarenes,”
Mark 5:1. Any good Biblical
Dictionary will reveal that at the first coming of Christ the land of Gadara
was populated by Gentiles. This then obviously sets forth the type of the Jewish people
being temporarily set aside while Christ takes the gospel to the Gentiles during
this present dispensation. Glory to
God! Praise the Lord!
However, do not fail to notice that
“the night” was over and done when Christ arrived in Gadara.
It was morning! Therefore,
the type set forth is of that
which will occur with Christ and Israel following this present
dispensation.
The Demoniac’s Identity
“And
when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there
met Him two possessed with devils [demons], coming out of the
tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way,”
Matthew 8:28.
“And when He was come out of the ship,
immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Who had his dwelling
among the tombs; and no
man could bind him, no, not with chains: 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. And always, night and day, he was
in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with
stones,” Mark 5:2-5.
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“And when He went forth to land, there met
Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils [demons] a long time, and ware no clothes, neither
abode in any house, but in the
tombs,” Luke 8:27.
Identifying Marks…….The three Scripture portions above, taken from the
three accounts, give an inspired description of the demon possessed man of Gadara. By comparing “spiritual things with spiritual”
as God’s people are explicitly commanded to do in God’s Word [1 Corinthians 2:13], the national
identity of this demon possessed man can be established. Let’s then examine
these “marks” to see who this man literally was in this historical account so
we can determine WHO it is that is being prophetically
typified…..
His
Spiritual Condition…….The first “mark” that helps to identify this man is
the fact that in all three accounts it is explicitly stated that he is demon
possessed. This is highly interesting in
view of the fact that when the Lord was speaking to the Pharisees [the religious leaders of Israel] in Matthew 12:43-45, the
Lord explicitly stated,
“When the unclean spirit is gone out
of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Then he saith, I will return into my house
from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there:
and the last state of that
man is worse than the first. Even so
shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” This
exact same truth is repeated a second time by the Lord in Luke
11:24-26. Who was the Lord
referring to?
Significantly,
the word translated as “generation” in this verse literally
means “nativity; men of the same stock;
the several ranks in natural descent; the successive members of a geneaology; race;
descendant; age; period of time.” See
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, page 112, Strong’s No. 1074. In other words, it is obvious that the Lord
was pointing out that unbelieving ISRAEL was under demonic influence
at the time of His first coming, and that their spiritual condition would be “seven”
times worse at the end of this age when He comes again. According to the prophetic Scriptures the
Tribulation comes at the end of this age, is “seven” years in length,
and is specifically for the purpose of judging and redeeming ISRAEL and
bringing them to Himself. Hello!
The exact
spiritual condition of unbelieving Israel is further verified by Paul
himself in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief.” Keep in mind that Paul also stated that he was
“…a
pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting,”
1 Timothy 1:16. See also 1
Corinthians 15:8. In other
words, Paul himself typified Israel. Just as Saul of Tarsus,
in his unbelief was the “chief” of sinners, foaming out hate
and rage against Christ, Christians, and Christianity, so unbelieving Israel will be in a similar
spiritual condition at the end of this age.
It is then obvious that this demoniac of Gadara was a lost unbelieving Jew and therefore typifies unbelieving ISRAEL.
His Dwelling Place…….The
second “mark” that enables us to identify this demoniac
6
was
his dwelling place. Again all three
accounts state that this demoniac dwelt in the tombs; that is, in the cemetery
among the dead. Now in view of the
prophetic Scriptures this is highly enlightening!
When the Lord showed the
prophet Ezekiel a prophetic vision of unbelieving Israel at the end of this age, where
did Ezekiel see the Jewish people dwelling?
Read it for yourself in Ezekiel 37:1-28. The unbelieving Jewish people [the dry bones] were dwelling “among
the tombs” in the graveyard of the nations. This is absolutely undeniable for the Lord
Himself explicitly said, “…Son of man, these bones are the whole
house of Israel…,”
Ezekiel 37:11.
It is then again obvious that the demoniac
of Gadara, who
came to Christ for redemption and cleansing, was a Jew. As such he typified unbelieving ISRAEL who will come to Christ for
redemption and cleansing during the “seven” year Tribulation at the end
of this age. Praise God!
His
Strength & Passion…….The third “mark” by which we can identify this
demoniac is his strength and inner passion.
Matthew describes him as “…exceeding
fierce, so that no man might pass by that way,” Matthew 8:28.
Mark was inspired to say of him, “…no man could bind him, no, not
with chains: Because 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.” Mark 5:3-4.
Luke makes a similar statement,
but connects his strength and passion with the demons working in the man. “(For He had commanded the unclean spirit
to come out of the man. For oftentimes
it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he
brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) Luke
8:29.
The inspired description of this man’s past
is in perfect harmony with the history of the Jewish people. No matter what nation the Jewish people fled
to, they never found rest for the soles of their feet. “And the Lord shall scatter thee among all
people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other…….And among these
nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have
rest…,” Deuteronomy 28:64-65. The
Lord Himself explicitly stated in Matthew 12:43 that the “man”
would walk through “dry places, seeking rest,” but
would find none.
Across
the centuries nation after nation has tried to bind the Jews “in
fetters and chains” by passing all kinds of laws and restrictions on
the Jewish people. When the “fetters and chains” of various laws
and restrictions didn’t work, then the nations simply drove the Jews out of
their country. In most recent history England drove
the Jews out in the 1200’s. Spain banned
the Jews from their country in the 1400’s.
Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany tried to exterminate the Jews from Germany and all of Europe
during the Second World War. The Jews
broke all of the “fetters and chains” and refused to be bound. Gone is
the glory of the once great British Empire! Gone is the glory of Spain! Gone is the boasted glory of Adolph Hitler
and his Third Reich! Genesis
12:3 is still in the Bible whether some want to believe it or not.
During all of these purges and persecutions
the Jewish people have cried out to God for mercy exactly as their own Scriptures
predicted that they would, Deuteronomy 28:66-
7
67. Sadly, the Jews, just like the
demoniac of Gadara,
have hurt themselves again and again with their schemes to overcome their
enemies by their own human efforts.
Where is their repentance? Where
is their forgiveness of those who have wronged them? Read Mark 11:25-26. Yet the
Jews have survived and prospered, and today have even become “an
exceeding great army” to be reckoned with by the nations of the world. Read Ezekiel 37:10. These inspired Scriptures describing
the strength passion of the demoniac of Gadara
are just one more way of identifying him as a
type of unbelieving ISRAEL.
His
Flight…….There is still one more “mark” that points to this demon possessed
man being a Jew, and a type of
ISRAEL. Luke’s account explicitly states that this demoniac was “driven
of the devil into the wilderness,” Luke 8:29. This is what had happened to him in the past,
but this is exactly what is predicted to happen to ISRAEL in the future during
the coming Tribulation. Read Ezekiel
20:33-36, Revelation 12:6 and 12:14,
and compare these Scriptures with the Lord’s warning set forth in Matthew
24:15-21.
Each of
these “marks” identify the demoniac of Gadara as
a Jew and a type of
unbelieving ISRAEL.
There should then be no question about
it in the minds of God’s people who are willing to deal honestly with the
Scriptures.
Now let’s turn our attention to the actual
meeting between Christ and this demoniac.
By examining the events which occurred at this meeting in the past,
we can learn the typical significance
of what is to occur in the future…..
The Meeting
The
Conflict…….True believers should never forget that “…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 [the
heavens],” Ephesians 6:12. This truth is no where better
illustrated in the Scriptures than right here in the account of Christ healing
and setting free the demoniac of Gadara. Notice that the conflict is not
between Christ and the demon possessed man, but rather in all three accounts
the conflict is between Christ and “the unclean spirit” in the
man. It is obvious from this account
that demons are subject to the greater power of the Lord Jesus Christ and must
obey His commands to them.
In Matthew’s account the “devils”
[demons] “cried out, saying, What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of
God? art Thou come to torment us before
the time?” Matthew 8:28-29.
In
Mark’s account the “unclean spirit…..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,” Mark 5:2-7.
In
Luke’s account the “devils” [demons] “…cried out, and fell down before Him,
and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not,” Luke 8:28.
This
verifies the truth stated in James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” This meeting between Christ and the demons in
the past is only a type of
a far greater meeting between Christ and the demons in the future. We know this to be so because “the
unclean spirit” in this man
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explicitly
asked the Lord, “…art Thou come to torment us before the time?” In other words, the demons know that
there is an appointed time in the future when they will appear before the Lord, be judged, and then will be cast into
eternal torment FOR EVER.
Even
the time when this future judgment of the demons will occur is foreshadowed in
this account. It will occur in
conjunction with the future salvation of Israel,
as typified by the salvation
of this demoniac of Gadara. Glory to God!
We
can also see from this account that Satanic powers, especially demons, do exert
a great influence upon mankind, instigating and aggravating many of the
problems that beset mankind. This
includes physical, mental, material, and spiritual problems. This is precisely why people need to be
seriously studying God’s Word and listening to the Lord. If one is not listening to the Word of the
Lord and seeking His will for their life, then they are highly vulnerable to demon
influence, possible possession, and deception.
The Legion…….In both Mark’s account and Luke’s account it is
recorded that the Lord Jesus Christ specifically asked the demon, “What
is thy name?” The demon’s
answer was, “My name is Legion: for we are many,” Mark 5:9;
Luke 8:30.
This word, “Legion,” is actually a
word brought over into the English Bible un-translated. The word literally refers to the number
of soldiers in a contingent of troops in the Roman army, which according to
Strong’s Concordance consisted of 6,000 men. See Strong’s No. 3003. Now isn’t this interesting? Here is foreshadowed in type a prophetic event which will be fulfilled during the
Tribulation which follows 6,000 years of human history, and there were 6,000
demons in this man. Is this just
coincidence? I would remind our readers
that there is not even a word for “coincidence” in the Hebrew language. Glory to God!
Hallelujah! How great is the Word
of the Lord!
The
Hogs…….In all three accounts the Lord commanded the demons to come out of
the man. It is obvious that the “unclean
spirits” had no desire to go to torment before their time, and yet they
had no place to go. They then asked the Lord for permission to enter into the
herd of “swine” that were feeding nearby, and the Lord granted their
request. Here is an example of “unclean
spirits” seeking unclean beings to dwell in. This is exactly why the inspired Word refers
to some people as “dogs” and “swine;” that is, because such
people are not only lost in sin but they enjoy living a filthy, unclean,
impure, lifestyle. These are the very
kind of people whose bodies demon spirits seek to possess and dwell in. See Matthew 7:6 and 2 Peter 2:22.
But
notice that when the “unclean spirits” entered the bodies
of the hogs, the entire herd of hogs “…ran violently down a steep place into the
sea (they were about two thousand) and were choked [drowned]
in the sea,” Mark 5:13. Here is
set forth the difference between bad people and good hogs. Bad people tolerate and even invite
demonic spirits into their lives. But
these good hogs chose to commit suicide rather than to have demons
living in them. Hello!
In
Mark’s account the number of the hogs is explicitly stated. Why? It
ought to be obvious that it is a type
of the destruction of the incorrigible wicked which will come to pass
following the end of this present 2,000 years dispensation of
grace? Think about it! It is also obvious that it will occur during
the same period of time when presently unbelieving Israel is brought to a saving
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Glory!
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The Men of Gadara…….All three accounts state that when the men that kept
the swine saw what happened, then they “fled.”
They went into the city of Gergesa
and the whole surrounding area and told everyone what had occurred. Isn’t it amazing that when the real “power
of God” is poured out, wicked men will flee from it? Those who have a heart inclined towards God
will come to Christ, but the wicked will flee, John 3:19-21. Does this tell you anything about the inward
character of men? Well…??
The men of the city of Gergesa and the land
of Gadara then came out into the country side and requested of Christ “…that
He would depart out of their coasts,” Matthew 8:34; Mark 5:17; Luke 8:37. Again, a
type is set forth here. We have
already seen how this event typifies
what is going to occur at the end of this age.
Now think about what is going on in the whole world system RIGHT NOW! Isn’t it a fact that the whole world system
is swiftly rejecting the entire concept of God as set forth in His Word and by
true Christians, and is demanding that real Bible believing Christianity be
suppressed and even done away with? YOU
KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING! Folks, it is
only going to get worse with every passing day.
This world system hates God and wants to be rid of Him and everything
and everyone that reminds them of Him. There
is no place in the New World Order for the truth of God’s Word, for genuine
Christianity, or for true Bible believing Christians. The men of Gadara wanting Christ to leave
their land so many centuries ago is just another type pointing to the rejection of Christ by the wicked New
World Order of the end-time Tribulation period.
Read Revelation 6:12-17.
Healing and Freedom…….After Christ had cast the demons out of the man,
Mark’s account explicitly states that he was “…sitting, and clothed, and in
his right mind…,” Mark 5:15. His outward physical appearance
gave evidence to the inward change that had occurred in his very soul. In
other words, he had been saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, Ephesians
2:8-9. His salvation typifies
the salvation of the believing “remnant” of Israel at the end of the age. The man was clothed, typifying the imputed righteousness of Christ being imputed
to Israel,
Romans
4. He was also given a “sound”
mind, a type of the mind given
to every true believer, and which will be given to the believing “remnant” of Israel when
they are saved, 2 Timothy 1:7. He was
also “sitting”
at the feet of Jesus listening to Him, which is exactly what Israel will do during the Millennial Kingdom. See Isaiah 2:1-3, Micah 4:1-2, and Zechariah
8:23. Glory to God!
The End of the Account
Before
Christ departed from Gadara,
Mark’s account records that the man desired to go with the Lord. However, Christ told him to “…Go
home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for
thee, and hath had compassion on thee,” Mark 5:19. In other words, Christ commissioned
the man to share the “good news” of his salvation with his own family and
friends.
This is a
type of the commission which the Lord will give to the Jewish “remnant”
who are saved during the coming Tribulation. Just as this former
Jewish demoniac obeyed Christ and began to “publish” what the Lord had done for
him, so the 144,000 saved and sealed Jews during the Tribulation will also
carry the gospel of Christ to every place in the “habitable earth” where there
is one soul to hear it, Matthew 24:14. Glory to God!
His Obedience…….The former
Jewish demoniac who was freed and healed obeyed
10
the
commands of Christ “And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis
how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel,” Mark 5:20. Glory to God!
Here is one of the most revealing types
in this entire account. Let me
explain…..
I am
sure that some of our readers are aware that clear back in 1973 at the annual
meeting of the Club of Rome, the members of that “elite” group [part of the New World Order Illuminati]
actually took a world map and divided the entire earth into “ten kingdoms.” This is documented history which can be
easily verified! From that time until the present the ultra-rich
world planners have been working behind the scenes to bring about an entire “New
World Order” based on their division of the whole earth. Their plan is to abolish all present national
borders, then divide the entire earth into “ten kingdoms” to be ruled by
ten kings. Each of the “ten kingdoms”
will have a capitol city from which each king will rule. Isn’t it interesting that this exact scenario
was predicted in God’s inspired Word as far back as 2,600 years ago? Read it for yourself in Daniel 2:31-34, 2:41-44, 7:7-8, 7:19-20,
7:23-24, Revelation 13:1, 17:3, and 17:12-18.
Some
of our readers may be wondering what this has to do with the account of the
demoniac of Gadara? I’m so glad you asked…..
In this account it is explicitly stated
that the former Jewish demoniac “…began to publish in Decapolis
how great things Jesus had done for him…”
Now take your Concordance or Lexicon and look up the word “Decapolis.” This
word literally means “the ten cities.” Wow!
Glory to God! This historical
event merely foreshadowed a far greater event to be fulfilled during the coming
Tribulation. The preaching of this former
Jewish demoniac in ancient “Decapolis”
is a type of the
preaching of the saved and sealed Jewish “remnant” during the Tribulation. The 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 will carry the gospel of Christ into the
streets of every capitol city of all “ten kingdoms” of the New World Order during the first half
of the Tribulation. Glory to God!
But even after the Tribulation the redeemed
surviving Jews will evangelize the whole world.
The inspired Apostle wrote about the Jewish “remnant” in Romans
11, pointing out in that chapter, “Now if the fall of them be the
riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how
much more their fullness,” Romans 11:12.
In other words, following the Tribulation the surviving Jewish
remnant will literally carry the gospel of Christ to every people and nation on
the earth, so that “…the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters
cover the sea,” Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14. Glory to God!
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! May the Lord hasten the day!
The Lord’s Return
One final point in this account
needs to be mentioned and emphasized. In
Luke’s account, when the Lord returned back to the land and people of Israel the
Scripture explicitly states, “And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was
returned, the people gladly received Him: for they were all waiting
for Him,” Luke 8:40. Glory
to God! Praise the Lord!
Here is set forth a type of the Second Coming of Christ back to Israel at the
end of the Tribulation. The prophetic
Scriptures state plainly that every surviving Jew will receive Christ
and be saved, exactly as typified
in this historical account. Read Matthew
24:13, Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hebrews 8:10-11, Isaiah 60:21, Joel 3:20-21, and
Zephaniah
3:13.
11
Why? Because there is a “remnant” among the Jewish
people even today who have an intense longing for their long promised Messiah
to come and save them. Even today they
are waiting and watching and longing for Him to come, just as the Jewish people
in this historical account “were waiting for Him” to come back
across the sea to the land of Israel.
When the Lord then returns at the end of the Tribulation the surviving
Jews will cry out to Him as one man, “Blessed is He that cometh in the
name of the Lord,” as every one of them receive Him as their
Savior. Glory to God! Read Matthew 23:39 and give praise to the
Lord.
Conclusion
In this study I have pointed
out that the demoniac of Gadara
was a Jew living in a Gentile land, and a
type of the many Jews still living in the Gentile nations of the world even
today. Typically and prophetically speaking, after the end of 6,000
years of human history the Lord Jesus Christ returns, finds this demon
possessed Jewish man living among the Gentiles, casts out the demons and sets
him free, just as the prophetic Scriptures tell us that He is going to do for
the Jewish “remnant” [144,000] during
the coming Tribulation period.
I suspect that the time setting for this type to be fulfilled will be at
the rapture of God’s people immediately preceding the Tribulation. Christ will then return back to Heaven taking
His disciples [His New Testament Gentile
bride] with Him. Then seven years
later He will again return back to the land of Israel
and the Jewish people, and they will joyfully receive Him, not only as their
Messiah, but as their Savior and Lord.
This is the spiritual picture [type] which the Lord has painted for us
in this wonderful account of the healing of the Demoniac of Gadara.
Folks, it ought to be obvious to any true believer that we are
presently living right at the end of this dispensation, and the fulfillment of
the type set forth in this
account is staring humanity in the face.
At any moment now our Lord will come. My question to every reader in closing this
study is, Are you ready? Do you really know and have assurance
that you are truly saved; “born again” by the Spirit and power of God through
faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you have such assurance? Read again John 3:3-7, 3:16, 5:24, 14:6,
Acts 4:12, 16:30-31, 20:21, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, and
make your “calling and election sure,” 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10. I would like to meet every reader in
glory when our Lord comes. Please don’t
disappoint me! May the Lord add His
blessings to this message.
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NOTICE:
Permission is granted to any true
believer to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from
it in context as written.
Please address all questions,
comments, and correspondence to: Pastor F. M. Riley, 184 County Road 108, Harrisburg, Missouri 65256.
I can also be contacted by email at: fmrglbd5@yahoo.com or
fmr7sngn@centurylink.net