Dr Paul Allen

  Several instances throughout Exodus (e.g., Ex 16:10; 34:5) have made clear that the visible manifestation of Yahweh’s presence often occurs as a cloud. Since the Israelites conceived of Yahweh as invisible, they needed a visible entity—​a reminder or symbol that could be seen by the human eye—​to reassure them that Yahweh was indeed present with them. That visible entity is often referred to in the OT as the “glory” (kabod) of Yahweh. Isa 40:5, e.g., states that it is the “glory of the LORD” that “all people will see.” Once the construction and arrangement of the tabernacle in Exodus are complete, the glory of Yahweh, in the form of a cloud, fills the place that Moses cannot even enter it (Ex 40:35).  It seems, therefore, to have been more than something that could merely be seen; it could be sensed in other ways. At one point in Exodus, the “glory” is called a “consuming fire” (24:17). The glory of Yahweh was reassuring and fear-inspiring all at the same time. This is remin...

So the Bible doesn’t record an ancient expulsion from heaven by hordes of angels who then became known as demons, where do demons come from? There’s actually a straightforward answer to that question, but it’s likely one you’ve never heard of:  In ancient Jewish texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, demons are the disembodied spirits of dead Nephilim giants who perished at the time of the great flood. While I referenced the Dead Sea Scrolls above, don’t be misled. This explanation for the origin of demons has secure links in the biblical text, they just aren’t obvious—to us anyway.  To an ancient reader, someone who lived during the time of the Bible, this explanation would have been quite clear. For us to see what they saw, we need to go back to the Bible’s account of the great flood. The sons of God, the Nephilim, and the Mesopotamian Apkallu Noah's Ark: The first four verses of the Bible’s flood account read: When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were ...