Matthew 8:31-34

 

Mat 8:31 (KJB)

So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

 

The devils knew that one day they were going to suffer eternal damnation for their rebellion against God the Father and God the Son. Here they ask Jesus that if it is not their time yet to begin to suffer to allow them to go into the herd of swine which was nearby. This shows that even the kingdom of Satan is subject to the Lord Jesus Christ because they are not allowed to go anywhere they desire. Thy must ask permission to go into the swine. They apparently knew that Jesus would not allow them to possess anyone else, so they knew it was either the bottomless pit or the herd of swine which were unclean under the law. (Luke 8:31 KJV) And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. The Lord Jesus had the power to commit them unto the bottomless pit until the last day when they would be cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 9:11 KJV) And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

 

Mat 8:32 (KJB)

And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

 

Just as God did to Satan in the case of Job, the Lord Jesus Christ gave them leave to go into the herd of swine. The word “Go” in the Greek text is in the Imperative Mood so they were commanded to go into the herd of swine. The unclean into the unclean. The Sea of Galilee is about 700 feet (213 meters) below sea level but the hills in the area of Decapolis rise to a height of about 1000 feet (304 meters). So when the devils went into the herd of swine, they went crazy and started to run violently toward the cliffs. They then all went over the cliff, one following another, right into the Sea of Galilee and perished. This gives a little insight as to the last day. The unsaved who are the unclean before God will also perish with the kingdom of Satan in Hell. These swine going down the cliff is a picture of the final judgment. If these swine were owned by Jews, they were in violation of God’s law and even if they were owned by Gentiles, they still did not belong in that area because it was part of the land which God gave Israel. As for the devils, they may have ended up in the bottomless pit anyway after the pigs died because they lost their host.

 

Mat 8:33 (KJB)

And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

 

As soon as the swine had perished from off the cliff, the herdsmen had immediately gone into the city to notify the owners of the herd and to tell them about what happened to the devil possessed man who would have been their best guard because no one would dare try to steal any of the swine while the devil possessed man was living there. They not only lost their herds but they also lost their best security guard.

 

Mat 8:34 (KJB)

And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

 

Once word had spread concerning the events which took place, the entire town had come out to see Jesus. No longer was the focus on the devil possessed man and his deliverance, they now focused strictly on Jesus. (Mark 5:15 KJV) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They saw the delivered man sitting clothed and in his right mind. They were all still probably frightened of him knowing his history but now they are seeing him in a different light. However, the people were obviously frightened of Jesus and asked Him to leave the area because they had just lost a huge herd of swine which would have been worth much money. They had desired the pigs over Jesus, nevertheless, the two men whom Jesus delivered from the demonic possession had stayed behind and now there were two witnesses to the power of Jesus who had shown ultimate power over the kingdom of Satan.

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