Chapter 9
Supernatural, Paranormal and Myth

The Bible often referred to super-natural entities and paranormal activities, a number of which were obvious myth or superstition. Science has yet to confirm or even characterize any of these as entities or properties in nature.

The Devil, Satan, Beelzebub

9.1 Satan was an evil deity responsible for the ungodly things in the world. Satan, himself, was mentioned only four times in the Old Testament.

"And Satan stood up against Israel…" 1Ch 21:1

God and Satan assault Job. Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7

"…and let Satan stand at his right hand." Ps 109:6

"And…Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan…" Zech 3:1,2

Satan showed up far more often in the New Testament.

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Mt 4:1

"…the devil taketh [Jesus]…" Mt 4:5,8

"Get thee hence, Satan…Then the devil leaveth him…" Mt 4:10,11

"But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils." Mt 9:34

"…This fellow…cast out devils…by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." Mt 12:24; Lk 11:15

"And if Satan…is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? Mt 12:26, Mk 3:23

"If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. Lk 11:18

"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils…" Mt 12:27; Lk 11:19

"The enemy that sowed them is the devil…" Mt 13:39
Jesus to Peter: "…Get thee behind me, Satan…" Mt 16:23, Mk 8:33, Lk 4:8

"…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" Mt 25:41

"And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan…" Mk 1:13

"…He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils." Mk 3:22

"Being forty days tempted of the devil…And the devil said unto him…" Lk 4:2

"…the devil, taking him up into an high mountain…the devil said unto him…" Lk 4:5,6

"…when the devil had ended all the temptation…" Lk 4:13

"…Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts." Mk 4:15

"…then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word…" Lk 8:12

"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Lk 10:18

"…a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound…" Lk 13:16

"Then entered Satan into Judas…" Lk 22:3

"…Satan hath desired to have you…" Lk 22:31

"Ye are of your father the devil…" Jn 8:44

"…the devil having now put into the heart of Judas…" Jn 13:2

"And after the sop Satan entered into him." Jn 13:27

"…why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie…" Acts 5:3

"…Jesus…[healed] all that were oppressed of the devil…" Acts 10:38

"…thou child of the devil…" Acts 13:10

"…turn them from…the power of Satan unto God…" Acts 26:18

"…[God] shall bruise Satan under your feet…" Rom. 16:20

"To deliver such an one unto Satan …" 1Cor 5:5

"…that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." 1Cor 7:5

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us…" 2Cor 2:11

"…for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." 2Cor 11:14

"…the messenger of Satan to buffet me…" 2Cor 12:7

"…stand against the wiles of the devil." Eph 6:11

"…but Satan hindered us." 1Thes 2:18

"…whose coming is after the working of Satan…" 2Thes 2:9

"…whom I have delivered unto Satan…" 1Tim 1:20

"For some are already turned aside after Satan." 1Tim 5:15

"Neither give place to the devil." Eph. 4:27

"…fall into the condemnation of the devil…into reproach and the snare of the devil" 1Tim 3:6,7; 2Tim 2:26

"…he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Heb 2:14

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Jas 4:7

"…your adversary the devil…" 1Pet 5:8

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning…the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1Jn 3:8

"…the children of the devil…" 1Jn 3:10

"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses…" Jude 1:9

"I know…the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Rev 2:9

"…the devil shall cast some of you into prison…" Rev. 2:10

"I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is…where Satan dwelleth." Rev 2:13

"…which have not known the depths of Satan…" Rev 2:24

"…I will make them of the synagogue of Satan…" Rev 3:9

"…the great dragon…that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan…" Rev 12:9; 20:2

"…for the devil is come down unto you…" Rev. 12:12

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison," Rev 20:7

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone," Rev. 20:10

Devils and Demons

9.2 These were evil minor deities, separate from Satan.

"And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils…" Lev 17:7

"They sacrificed unto devils, not to God…" Deut 32:17

"And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made." 2Cr 11:15

"Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils," Ps 106:37

"…[the Gentiles] sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils." 1Cor 10:20,21

"…giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" 1Tim 4:1

"…the devils also believe, and tremble." Jas 2:19

"…they should not worship devils, and idols…" Rev. 9:20

"For they are the spirits of devils…" Rev. 16:14

"And…and is become the habitation of devils…" Rev. 18:2

9.3 Demonic posession was a common ancient view of mental illness, disease, and non-conformity which could be cured by exorcism, driving out the demons and devils. Interestingly, there is no mention of this in the Old Testament.

"…they brought unto him…those which were possessed with devils," Mt 4:24

"…in thy name have cast out devils…" Mt 7:22

"…they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word…" Mt 8:16

"…there met him two possessed with devils…" Mt 8:28

"And the devils besought [Jesus], saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine." Mt 8:31

"And…told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils." Mt 8:33

"…they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake…" Mt 9:32,33

"…He casteth out devils…" Mt 9:34

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils…" Mt 10:8

"…and they say, [John the Baptist] hath a devil." Mt 11:18; Lk 7:33

"…one possessed with a devil…dumb…" Mt 12:22; Lk 11:14

"…This fellow…cast out devils…by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." Mt 12:24; Lk 11:15

"And if I…cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?…But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God" Mt 12:27,28; Lk 11:19,20

"…my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." Mt 15:22

"And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the [lunatic] child was cured from that very hour." Mt 17:18

"…they brought unto him…them that were possessed with devils." Mk 1:32

"And he…cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him." Mk 1:34

"And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils." Mk 1:39

"And to have power to…cast out devils:" Mk 3:15

"…by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils." Mk 3:22

"And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them." Mk 5:12

"And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil…And…how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil…he that had been possessed with the devil…" Mk 5:15,16,18

"And they cast out many devils…" Mk 6:13

"…she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter…the devil is gone out of thy daughter…she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." Mk 7:26,29,30

"…we saw one casting out devils in thy name…" Mk 9:38, Lk 9:49

"…out of whom he had cast seven devils." Mk 16:9; Lk 8:2

"…In my name shall they cast out devils…" Mk 16:17

"…a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil…Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him…for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out…And devils also came out of many…" Lk 4:33-36,41

"…women, which had been healed of evil spirits…Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," Lk 8:2

"…a certain man, which had devils long time…many devils were entered into him…Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine…the man, out of whom the devils were departed…" Lk 8:27,30,33,35,36,38

"…power and authority over all devils…" Lk 9:1

"…the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child…" Lk 9:42

"…Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." Lk 10:17

"…Behold, I cast out devils…" Lk 13:32

"…Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" Jn 6:70

"…Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?" Jn 7:20

"…Say we not well that thou…hast a devil?…I have not a devil…we know that thou hast a devil…" Jn 8:48,49,52

"…He hath a devil, and is mad…These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?" Jn 10:20,21

Hell

9.4 When viewing a volcano, or gazing on a geyser, it’s easy to see how the concept of Hell came to be. These are merely the result of the earth’s natural structure where molten magma lies below a relatively thin, rocky crust. The center of the earth makes no accommodation for a "bottomless pit" or for Hell, either, since it’s made of iron and nickel at tremendous pressures and temperatures.
Contrary to modern trends in theology, Hell was conspicuous in the Bible. Any denomination which calls for the demotion of the concept of Hell as place of unspeakable torment, because it frightens people, is just making-up its theology as it goes along (probably to keep its membership up and its coffers full). You might just as well toss the Bible away.

"For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell…" Deut 32:22

"The sorrows of hell compassed me about…" 2Sam 22:6; Ps 18:5

"…deeper than hell…" Job 11:8

"Hell is naked before him…" Job 26:6

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Ps 9:17

"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell…" Ps 16:10: Acts 2:27

"Let…them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them." Ps 55:15

"…thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." Ps 86:13

"The…pains of hell gat hold upon me…" Ps 116:3

"If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." Ps 139:8

"Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell." Prov 5:5

"Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Prov 7:27

"…her guests are in the depths of hell." Prov 9:18

"Hell and destruction are before the Lord…" Prov 15:11

"…that he may depart from hell beneath." Prov 15:24

"Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Prov 23:14

"Hell and destruction are never full…" Prov 27:20

"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself…" Isa 5:14

"Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming…" Isa 14:9

"Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." Isa 14:15

"…We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement…" Isa 28:15

"And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand…" Isa 28:18

"…and didst debase thyself even unto hell." Isa 57:9

"…when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit…all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth. They also went down into hell with him…" Ezek 31:16,17

"…shall speak to him out of the midst of hell…" Ezek. 32:21

"…which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war…" Ezek 32:27

"Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them…" Amos 9:2

"…of the belly of hell cried I…" Jon 2:2

"…who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as…" Hab 2:5

"…shall be in danger of hell fire." Mt 5:22

"…that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Mt 5:29,30

"…fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Mt 10:28

"…Capernaum…shalt be brought down to hell…" Mt 11:23; Lk 10:15

"…the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Mt 16:18

"…to be cast into hell fire." Mt 18:9; Mk 8:47

"…twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." Mt 23:15

"…how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Mt 23:33

"…into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:" Mk 9:43,45

"Fear him, which…hath power to cast into hell…" Lk 12:5

"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…for I am tormented in this flame." Lk 16:23,24

"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell…" Acts 2:31

"…it is set on fire of hell." Jas 3:6

"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;" 2Pet 2:4

"I…have the keys of hell and of death." Rev. 1:18

"…and Hell followed with him." Rev. 6:8

"…hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." Rev. 20:13

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Rev. 20:14

Heaven

9.5 The residence of God, Christ, angels, saints, and the redeemed. I’ve tried not to include the hundreds of references to heaven which probably meant the sky or of God himself, but this is difficult because of the ambiguity of language. In the Old Testament, one could probably interpret the vast majority of references to heaven as the sky, even God as a sky god. Most uses were clearly meant as the sky. To the ancients, it was a place of unexplored and unreachable mystery, a source of fear and wonder, the home of clouds, storms, eternal lights, and gods. There was no real distinction made until the New Testament when the concept of a heaven of eternal reward evolved. In both the Old and New Testaments, the use of heaven as God’s residence was also surrounded by the use of heaven as a place for natural phenomena: sun, stars, birds, rain, wind, thunder, dark, up, great height, etc. Actually, there were at least three heavens in the Bible.

"…such an one caught up to the third heaven." 2Cor 12:2

"…the God of heaven…" Gen 24:3

"The Lord God of heaven…" Gen 24:7

"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven…" Gen 28:12

"…this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Gen 28:17

"…the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above…" Gen 49:25

"…the Lord he is God in heaven above…" Deut 4:39

"Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven…" Deut 26:15

"It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?" Deut 30:12

"…and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place…" 1Kgs 8:30

"Then hear thou in heaven…" 1Kgs 8:32,34,36,39,43,45,49; 2Cr 6:21,23,25,30,33,35,39; Neh 9:27,28

"…I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left." 1Kgs 22:19 & 2Cr 18:18

"…then will I hear from heaven…" 2Cr 7:14

"…art not thou God in heaven?" 2Cr 20:6

"…their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven." 2Cr 30:27

"…God of heaven …" 2Cr 36:23; Ezra 1:2; 5:11,12; 6:9,10; 7:12,21,23; Neh 1:4,5; 2:4,20

"…my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high." Job 16:19

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven…" Ps 11:4

"…he will hear him from his holy heaven…" Ps 20:6

"The Lord looketh from heaven…" Ps 33:13, 53:2

"Whom have I in heaven but thee?…" Ps 73:25

"Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven…" Ps 76:8

"…O God of hosts: look down from heaven…" Ps 80:14

"…kingdom of heaven…" Mt 3:2; 4:17; 5:3,10,19,20; 7:21; 8:11; 10:7; 11:11,12; 13:11,24,31,33,44,45,47,52; 18:23; 19:12,14,23; 20:1; 22:2; 23:13; 25:1,14

"…your reward in heaven…" Mt 5:12; Lk 6:23

"…Father…in heaven." Mt 5:1,45,48; 6:1,9; 7:11,21; 10:32,33; 11:25; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10,14,19; 22:30; 23:9; Mk 11:25,26; Lk 11:12

"…heaven…is God’s throne" Mt 5:34

"…your heavenly Father…" Mt 6:14,26,32; 15:13; 18:35; Lk 11:13

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…" Mt 6:20; 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33; 18:22

"…All power is given unto me in heaven…" Mt 28:18

"…he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." Mk 16:19

"…your names are written in heaven." Lk 10:20

"…Lord of heaven…" Lk 10:21

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Jn 3:13

"Heaven is my throne…saith the Lord…" Acts 7:49

"…Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)" Rom 10:6

"…the second man is the Lord from heaven." 1Cor 15:47

"…we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2Cor 5:1

"…one caught up to the third heaven." 2Cor 12:2

"…he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth…" Eph 1:10

"…your Master…in heaven…" Eph 6:9; Col 4:11

"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven…" Col 1:5

xxx Last entry was before 1Thes

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…" Rev 21:1

9.6 Angels were the heavenly messengers. Here’s another case where religious visions can be tested against reason and nature. Angels are usually pictured as winged humanoids; but these wings are probably a holdover from ancient myths of a sky god who inhabited the atmosphere as well as by the Jews’ exposure to the winged creatures of Assyrian mythology.
Why are angels commonly depicted with two wings,? Angels were never described as having two wings anywhere in the New Testament. Likewise, there was no statement in the Bible which would lead us to believe that the spirits of dead Christians would be transformed into two-winged angels.
John the Apostle had a vision of an angel flying, but he did not mention wings or the number of wings.

"And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven…" Rev 8:13

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven…" Rev 14:6

Only the carved cherubim were described as having two wings.

"And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree…And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub…" 1Kgs 6:23

"…one wing of the one cherub was five cubits…and the other wing was likewise five cubits…And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits…and the other wing was five cubits also…" 2Cr 3:11,12

Isaiah’s seraphim had six wings.

"Above [the Lord’s throne] stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly." Isa 6:2

Ezekiel’s creatures had four wings.

"Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures…they had the likeness of a man. And every one had…four wings…and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies…And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies." Ezek 1:5,6,11

Wings have only one significant use, moving air to provide lift or propulsive force. If angels used wings for hovering or locomotion, then angels must have had some mass (and, therefore, weight) which obeyed the laws of nature (F=ma). Unless the wings were merely for show, angels cannot reasonably be considered purely spiritual entities. Also, wings would have been of no use above the atmosphere, so if angels traveled to a heaven above the atmosphere, some additional means of propulsion would have been necessary; but there's no mention of that. All in all, winged angels would have been pretty inefficient servants of an all-powerful God: sort of like trying to use hang-gliders to service the space station.

There is no ignoring Angels, though. They were frequent manifestations in the Bible.

"…angel of the Lord…" or "…angel of God…" or "…his angel…" Gen 16:7, 9-11, 21:17, 22:11,15, 24:7,40 28:12, 31:11,32:1; Ex 3:2, 14:19; Num 22:22-35; Judg 2:1,4, 5:23, 6:11,12,20-22; 13:3,6,9,13,15-21; 1Sam 29:9; 2Sam 14:17,20; 19:27; 24:16; 1Kgs 19:5,7; 2Kgs 1:3,15; 19:35; 1Cr 21:12,15,16,18,21,27,30; Ps 34:7; 35:5,6; 103:20; 104:4; 148:2; Isa 37:36; 63:9; Dan 3:28; 6:22; Zech 1:11,12; 3:1,3,5,6; 12:8; Mt 1:20,24; 2:13,19; 4:6; 16:27; 22:30; 24:31,36; 25:31,41; 26:53; 28:2,5; Mk 8:38; 12:25; 13:27,32; Lk 1:11, 2:9; 9:26; 12:8,9; 15:10; 22:43; Jn 1:51; Acts 5:19; 7:30,35; 8:26; 10:3,22; 12:7; 12:23; 27:23; 1Cor 4:9; Gal 1:8; 3:19; 4:14; 2Thes 1:7; 1Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-7,13; 1Pt 1:12; 3:22; 2Pt 2:4,11; Rev 3:5

"And there came two angels to Sodom…" Gen 19:1

"…the angels hastened Lot…" Gen 19:15

"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil…" Gen 48:16

"Behold, I send an Angel before thee…" Ex 23:20,23: 32:34; 33:2

"…an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him." 1Kgs 13:18

"…an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord…" 1Kgs 13:18

"And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt…" Num 20:16

"And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand…angel that smote the people…" 2Sam 24:16,17; 1Cr 21:15

"And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour…" 2Cr 32:21

"For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels…" Ps 8:5; Heb 2:7,9

"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels…" Ps 68:17

"[God] cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. Ps 78:49

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee…" Ps 91:11; Lk 4:10

"…neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry…" Ecc 5:6

"Yea, he had power over the angel…" Hos 12:4

"…the angel that talked with me …" Zech 1:9,13,14,19; 2:3; 4:1,4,5; 5:5,10; 6:4,5

"…angels came and ministered unto him." Mt 4:11

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels…" Mt 13:41

"…despise not one of these little ones…in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father…" Mt 18:10

"…and the angels ministered unto him." Mk 1:13

"…the angel…said…" Lk 1:13,19,28,30,35; 2:10; Jn 12:29; Acts 7:38; 10:7; 12:8-11; Heb 2:2

"…the angel Gabriel was sent from God…Lk 1:26

"…there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God…" Lk 2:13

"…the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom…" Lk 16:22

"…they are equal unto the angels…" Lk 20:36

"…the voice of the archangel…" 1Thes 4:16

"But ye are come…to an innumerable company of angels," Heb 12:22

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Heb 13:2

"And the angels which kept not their first estate…" Jude 1:6

"…Michael the archangel…" Jude 1:9

"…he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" Rev 1:1

"…The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…" Rev 1:20

"Unto the angel of the church …" Rev 2:1, Rev 2:8, Rev 2:12,18, 3:1, 3:13

"And I saw a strong angel…" Rev 5:2

"…I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth…And I saw another angel ascending from the east…and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels…" Rev 7:1,2

"I heard the voice of many angels…" Rev 5:11

"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. Rev 9:11

"…all the angels stood round about…" Rev 7:11

Other, numerous references in Revelation.

9.7 Cherubim were seen as winged creatures, too.

"…[God] placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims…" Gen 3:24

"And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind." 2Sam 22:11

Cherubim were also used for decoration. Ex 25:18-22; 26:1,31; 36:8,35; 37:7-9; Num 7:89; 1Sam 4:4; 2Sam 6:2; 1Kgs 6:23-29,32,35; 7:29,36; 8:6,7; 2Kgs 19:15

9.8 There was also a mighty army of heaven in God’s service. The Bible commonly used the term "host" to mean a body of fighting men.

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. Gen 2:1

"…thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host…" Neh 9:6

"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them…" Ps 33:6

"…behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number…" Isa 40:26

"…gave them up to worship the host of heaven…" Acts 7:42

"…he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven…" Dan 4:35

Witchcraft, Wizardry, Sorcery, & Familiar Spirits

9.9 The Bible recognized the exstence of things which have no support in nature. Normally, this might just be silly superstition, but thousands of innocent people were burned alive or otherwise suffered because of this.

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Ex 22:18

"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them" Lev 19:31

"And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people…A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them." Lev 20:6,27

"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deut 18:10,11

"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them…" Deut 4:19

"…the sin of witchcraft…" 1Sam 15:23

"…And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land…Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul…came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee…thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land…" 1Sam 28:3,7-9

"[Manasseh] made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards…" 2Kgs 21:6

"Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards…and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away…" 2Kgs 23:24

"So Saul died for…asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;" 1Cr 10:13

"And he…used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards…" 2Cr 33:6

"…Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter…" Isa 8:19

"…they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards." Isa 19:3

"…thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit…" Isa 29:4

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these…witchcraft…" Gal 5:19,20

"…sorcerers…shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…" Rev 21:8

Spirits and Ghosts

9.10 Evil spirits were bad actors which infected the mind.

"Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem…" Judg 9:23

"But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him…Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee…and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee…when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul…and the evil spirit departed from him." 1Sam 16:14-16,23

"And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house…" 1Sam 18:10

"And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul…" 1Sam 19:9

"And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits…" Lk 7:21

"And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," Lk 8:2

…the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus…the evil spirit answered…And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them…" Acts 19:12,13,15,16

9.11 Ghosts were that part of humans that survives death. The part of a person’s being thought of as the center of life, the will, thinking, feeling. Modern understanding of the human brain eliminates the need for a lot of this, and the human brain is far more interesting.

"Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." Ps 31:5

"Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died…" Gen 25:8

"…[Ishmael] gave up the ghost and died…" Gen 25:17

"And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died…" Gen 35:29

"…[Jacob] yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people." Gen 49:33

"…why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?" Job 3:11

"Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!" Job 10:18

"…their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost." Job 11:20

"…I shall give up the ghost." Job 13:19

"But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?" Job 14:10

"She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day…" Jer 15:9

"…my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city…" Lam 1:19

"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." Mt 27:50

"And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost…And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." Mk 15:37,39

"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Lk 23:46

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." Jn 19:30

"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost…" Acts 5:5

"Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead…" Acts 5:10

"And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him…and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." Acts 12:23

Horrible Beasties

9.12 Dragons were mythical beasts commonly seen as a fire-breathing, flying reptile or serpent. Omitted are the obviously symbolic and satanic references from Revelation.

"Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps." Deut 32:33

"I am a brother to dragons…" Job 30:29

"Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death." Ps 44:19

"…the heads of the dragons in the waters." Ps 74:13

"…the dragon shalt thou trample under feet." Ps 91:13

"Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:" Ps 148:7

"…and dragons in their pleasant palaces…" Isa 13:19-22

"…and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea." Isa 27:1

"…and it shall be an habitation of dragons…" Isa 34:13

"…in the habitation of dragons…" Isa 35:7

"The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the…" Isa 43:20

"Art thou not it that hath…wounded the dragon?" Isa 51:9

"…I will make Jerusalem…a den of dragons…" Jer 9:11

"…to make the cities of Judah…a den of dragons." Jer 10:22

"And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons…" Jer 14:6

"…he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out." Jer 51:34

"And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons…" Jer 51:37

"And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons…" Jer 49:33

"…I will make a wailing like the dragons…" Mic 1:8

"…and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." Mal 1:3

9.13 There were also fiery flying serpents not specifically identified as dragons.

"…and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." Isa 14:29

"…the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the…fiery flying serpent…" Isa 30:6

9.14 The Cockatrice, or Basilisk, was a serpent born in a cock’s egg which drives away other serpents by its hissing, and kills with a glance.

"And…the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den." Isa 11:8

"…out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice…" Isa 14:29

"They hatch cockatrice’ eggs…" Isa 59:5

"…I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you …" Jer 8:17

9.15 Satyrs were minor heathen deities with pointed ears, short horns, the body of a man, and the legs of a goat.

"…satyrs shall dance there." Isa 13:21

"…the satyr shall cry to his fellow…" Isa 34:14

9.16 Unicorns were cute, yes. Real, no. No skeleton or fossil has ever been found.

"God…hath as it were the strength of an unicorn." Num 23:22 & 24:8

"…[God’s] horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth…" Deut 33:17

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn…" Job 39:9,10

"…thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." Ps 22:21

"He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn." Ps 29:6

"But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn…" Ps 92:10

"And the unicorns shall come down with them…" Isa 34:7

Magical and Miraculous Deeds

9.17 Manna miraculously appeared from the sky.

"…behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was." Ex 16:14,15

9.18 Miracles are supposed to be impossible by natural means. They include apparently wondrous events which are not subject to measurement, duplication, validation, or verification. Usually a lone eye-witness (the least dependable source of information) tells an anecdote, or someone tells about something they heard. On the other hand, many of these things have also been done by competent stage magicians and by over-enthusiastic story tellers.

Talking serpent. Gen 3:4,5

Unconsumed burning bush. Ex 3:1-14

Stick turns into serpent. Ex 7:10

Water turns to blood. Ex 7:20

Talking donkey. Num 22:28-30

Floating iron axe head. 2Kgs 6:5,6

Woman turns into pillar of salt. Gen 19:26

Sun and moon stand still. Josh 10:13

People rise from the dead. Mt 27:52

Loaves and fishes. Mt 14:19-21

Walking on water. Mt 14:25,29

9.19 Faith healing was done by faith, prayer, or magic touch. Anecdotes of healings are particularly unreliable without assessments (before, after, and follow-up) by independent, competent medical processes. This "magic show" is a stock-in-trade of the con man, a number of whom have been exposed as outright frauds.

"When she…touched [Jesus’] garment…and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague…And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." Mk 5:27,29,34

"…as many as touched [Jesus] were made whole." Mk 6:56

"Then Peter said…In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength." Acts 3:6,7

"The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked." Acts 14:9,10

"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them." Acts 19:11,12

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray…Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up…" Jas 5:13-15

9.20 In a transfiguration, a man magically changes his form and appearance.

"And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." Mt 17:2

"…Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them." Mk 9:2-10

"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." Lk 9:29

9.21 Magic is akin to a man-made miracle. Some people still refuse to accept that stage magic is done by skilled trickery.

"…I told this unto the magicians…" Gen 41:24

"…the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments." Ex 7:11

9.22 Curses were used widely in the Bible, sometimes meaning just an unkindly oath. We’ll list only a few examples of the magical type of curse, here.

"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed …" Gen 3:14

"…cursed is the ground for thy sake…" Gen 3:17

"And now art thou cursed from the earth…" Gen 4:11

"…the ground which the Lord hath cursed." Gen 5:29

"…I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake…" Gen 8:21

"…Cursed be Canaan…" Gen 9:25

"…curse him that curseth thee…" Gen 12:3 & 27:29

"…I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing…Upon me be thy curse…" Gen 27:12

"…the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse…The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;" Num 5:18,21 & 27

9.23 Transmutation was used in the alchemy sense, not in the nuclear-isotope sense. It means turning one element or form of matter into another by magic or super-chemical means.

Dust turns into a human. Gen 2:7

Rib turns into a woman. Gen 2:22

Woman turns into pillar of salt. Gen 19:26

Stick turns into serpent. Ex 7:10

Visions and Dreams

9.24 Visions were something seen other than by ordinary sight, usually by a self-proclaimed prophet. Visions are certainly real mental phenomena and are often experienced by the devout, the stressed, and the insane; but the claim that the content of a vision has some overt meaning is what’s at issue, here. We’ll ignore the references to visions of the night as mere dreams, a natural, if misleading, phenomenon.

"…the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision…" Gen 15:1

"…which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:" Num 24:4 & 16

"…Samuel feared to show Eli the vision." 1Sam 3:15

"According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David." 2Sam 7:17 & 1Cr 17:15

"…the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?" 2Cr 9:29

"…the vision of Isaiah the prophet…" 2Cr 32:32 & Isa 1:1

"Then thou…terrifiest me through visions:" Job 7:14

"Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one…" Ps 89:19

"A grievous vision is declared unto me…" Isa 21:2

"…I saw visions of God." Ezek 1:1

"…then shall they seek a vision of the prophet…" Ezek 7:26

"And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain." Ezek 8:4

"Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me." Ezek 11:24

"…The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel…The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off." Ezek 12:23,24,27

"Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination…the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her…" Ezek 13:7,16

"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel…" Ezek 40:2

"And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city…" Ezek 43:3

"…Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." Dan 1:17

"…a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass…and I saw in a vision…And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision…make this man to understand the vision." Dan 8:1,2,15,16

"…I [God] have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets." Hos 12:10

"…your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:" Joel 2:28 & Acts 2:17

"The vision of Obadiah." Obad 1:1

"The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite." Nah 1:1

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision…" Zech 13:4

"…Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. Mt 17:9

"…he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple…" Lk 1:22

"And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord…And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight." Acts 9:9,10,12

"He saw in a vision…an angel of God coming in to him…Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean…While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him…" Acts 10:3,17,19

"…in a trance I saw a vision…" Acts 11:5

"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night…And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia…" Acts 16:9,10

"Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision…" Acts 18:9

"And thus I saw the horses in the vision…" Rev 9:17

9.25 There is no scientific evidence that dreams have any "meaning." Even Freud's theories have been thoroughly discredited.

"…We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you…But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them." Gen 40:8,22

"And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do." Gen 41:25

Predicting the Future

9.26 The Bible confirmed that one’s fate and personal characteristics could be influenced by the positions of heavenly bodies.

"Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven…and let them be for signs…" Gen 1:14

"there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel…" Num 24:17

"They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera." Judg 5:20

"…there came wise men [astrologers?] from the east…[saying] for we have seen his star in the east…the star, which they saw in the east…" Mt 2:1,2,9

9.27 Even though the Bible said that there was real soothsaying and divination with talismans, why didn't it anticipate the advent of telephone psychics and tarot readers?

"Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth?" Gen 44:5

"And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim [priest’s badge] before the Lord…" Num 27:21

"…[David] said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod [priest’s robe]. Then said David, O Lord God of Israel…Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up." 1Sam 23:9-12

"And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul…came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee."

Life after Death

9.28 We can't, of course, finish our list of supernatural phenomena without mentioning life after death which seems to be the main premise of the New Testament. Again, there is no valide evidence in nature for this phenomenon. Near-death experiences, which are the probable genesis of the life-after-death mythologies, bear a striking resemblance to symptoms brought on by oxygen deprivation and by the presence of narcotic-like endorphins secreted in the brain under stress. No near-death or out-of-body experiencers have later recalled anything which could not have been heard-about, hallucinated, or otherwise sensed while unconscious.