Demons Knew Who Yeshua Was by Paul Sumner
One of the less noticed testimonies to the identity of Yeshua of Nazareth—as found in the New Testament—comes from non-humans. People today argue about Yeshua's identity: was he divine or merely human?
Ironically, the non-human demons mentioned in Scripture know precisely who He is and that He is a mortal threat to themselves and their lord, the chief demon, Satan. They tremble and cry out in Yeshua's presence.
The second irony is that the non-human beings confess to knowing Yeshua for who He truly is, before His disciples do, who are "slow of heart to believe" (Luke 24:25).
In addition, the Jewish spiritual leaders (with few exceptions) never get it: they want to kill Him. In contrast to the rabbis, the demons, his mortal enemies, don't even attempt to attack God's Son.
It must be said: even though the witness of demonic beings to Yeshua's identity is biblically "orthodox," of course their testimonies don't gain them access to the kingdom of God. They are not "saved" by merely uttering divine truth. Human beings should remember that, as well: voiced confessions of orthodox creeds are not quarantees of eternal life.
Afterward, in the passages listed below, we also note the testimonies about Yeshua from his Jewish disciples, from angels and martyrs in heaven, and from God himself.
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The witness of unclean spirits
Matthew 4:2, 5-6
And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he then became hungry. And the Tempter [Greek, peirazon; Hebrew, menasseh] came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
Then the devil [Grk, diabolos; Heb, satan] took him into the holy city; and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down."Matthew 8:28-29 [compare Mark 5:1-2, 6-7 below]
When he had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed [daimonizomenoi] met him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that road. And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the Time?"Mark 1:21-24
They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and began to teach. And they were amazed at his teaching; for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. And just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit [pneumati akatharto], and he cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Yeshua of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"Mark 1:34
The demons [daimonia]…knew who he was.[Top]
Mark 3:11
Whenever the unclean spirits [pneumata akatharta] saw him, they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God!"Mark 5:1-2, 6-7 [=Luke 8:26-28; compare Matt 8:28-29 above]
They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. And when he got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit [pneumati akatharto] met him.... Seeing Yeshua from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have to do with each other, Yeshua, Son of the Most High God?
I implore you by God, do not torment me!"Luke 4:41
Demons [daimonia] also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, he would not allow them to speak, because they knew him to be the Messiah.[Top]
The witness of Yeshua's disciples and other Jews Matthew 16:15-16
He [Yeshua] said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." And Yeshua said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Yona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."Mark 8:29
"But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Messiah."Mark 10:46-47 [Matt 20:30; Luke 18:38]
As he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bar-Timaeus (the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Yeshua the Nazarene, began to cry out and say, "Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!"Luke 9:20
"But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Messiah of God."
John 11:27
She [Martha] said to him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, even he who comes into the world."[Top]
Acts 2:36
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah—this Yeshua whom you crucified."Acts 9:19-20, 22
Now for several days he [Saul of Tarsus or Paul] was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Yeshua in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."... Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Yeshua is the Messiah.1 Corinthians 12:3b
No one can say, "Yeshua is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.1 John 2:22
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.[Top]
The Witness of Heavenly Beings & Martyrs Revelation 5:12, 13
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing…. To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."Revelation 7:10
[A great multitude from every nation standing before the throne cries out with a loud voice, saying,] "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."Revelation 11:15
There arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever."Revelation 12:10
I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have come…."[Top]
God's Witness to Yeshua Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17
Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."Mark 9:7
Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him!"
Luke 3:22
The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are my beloved Son, in you I am well-pleased."Luke 9:35
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!"[Top]
Consider:
• "I Am Not Alone: The Father is With Me"
• Yeshua's Kehilah
• The Two Lords
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