[geologist]

All the talk about "swine" flu brought to memory a question about a Bible incident concerning swine. I think everyone is familiar with the story about Jesus and the devils possessed man at the country of the Gadarenes, and the devils going into a herd of swine and then the herd freaking out and drowning in the lake. There are accounts of this in three of the four Gospels.

In each account the legion of devils asks not to be cast out, but allowed to enter the herd of swine. Here are the three accounts of the request:

Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mark 5:10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

Luke 8:30-33 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

The account in Luke is most revealing. They ask not to be sent out into the deep. Then they end up in a lake of water:

Luke 8:30-33 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

The word "deep" in this passage is the Greek word (abussos) which Strongs defines as depthless, i.e. (specially) (infernal) "abyss":--deep, (bottomless) pit.

The word "lake" in this passage is the Greek word (limne) as a pond (large or small):--lake.

Now, obviously, the "deep" that these devils feared being cast out into was not the nearby "lake" of water. No, they feared being cast into a fearful place.

The only other place in the New Testament where the English word "deep" has the same Greek meaning (abyss) is here:

Romans 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

Well, this place of the dead certainly fits the criteria of a place of "torment" (Matthew's account), and it is certainly "out of the country" (Mark's account).

It would suggest that this is the place where the rich man found himself after death:

Luke 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Who are these devils? They can not be the spirits of anything that has died, else they should already be consigned to the deep. They do not appear to be angels, because the Bible does not call them angels. They are called "devils"

In the OT they are described as:

Leviticus 17:7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

ryes sa`iyr saw-eer'
or sabir {saw-eer'}; from 8175; shaggy; as noun, a he-goat; by analogy, a faun:--devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr.

and:

Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

dv shed shade
from 7736; a doemon (as malignant):--devil.

So what are these shaggy and malignant critters and, more importantly, when were they created and for what original purpose?

[Fredoheaven]

First, they are not referred to a man. They were unseen and they were describes as unclean, wicked spirits. They may have have spirit and name like Legion but the description does not match human kind.

Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Matthew 12:45 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.

Second, they are not referred to the Devil and his fallen angels. This of course do not have reference to Satan and his companions at the time they were cast out of heaven because of their rebellion. For there is only one Devil, the Old Serpent, the dragon.
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

So who are these malignant creature?

these malignant creatures were still to be categorized as angels although, they were not part of Satans Rebellion. In the New Testament, these were referred to 2 Peter 2:4 and in Jude 6. Angels are ministreing spirits and were messengers of God, however, these were the same angels that sinned, which kept not their first estate. The most probable sinned of these angels would be their intrusion with the daughters of men. In Genesis 6:2 said "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.." We have to note that term "sons of God" in the Bible may not only refer to Adam and to the believers (John 1:12) but also the angels. Accordingly, those angels acted in whoredom produced wicked giants (Gen 6:4-6). The context of Leviticus and in the book of Deutoronomy solidify that it has to do with the SEX sinned or PERVERTIONED. We also note that angels were referred to as SEXless, however as we have said they kept not their first estate and they did sinned.
.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Jude 1:6 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.
Leviticus 17:7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations
Deuteronomy 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not

When they were created? I do not know when but certainly they were created. I hope this will not lead me to the Gap Interpretation hehehe..

Thier Original purpose? They are God's messenger and their relationship to mankind is to minister to us by way of protection.

[chette777]

I will only reply that the reason for the creation or fall or Devils (which are called angles) for the Devil is called an angel of light and his angels are known as Devils. The only reason their creation and fall is not covered in detail is because it did not take place after the creation of the 24 hour time measurement as located in Gen1:3-5 or after the establishment of a sun moon, and stars for Times, Seasons, and Signs Gen 1:14-18